


I'll Be In Scotland

by historybudd



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-09-18
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1234447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/historybudd/pseuds/historybudd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle French finally gets a job after graduation at Gold Industries. It turns out to be way different than she imagined it would be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Young at Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea from the great movie series "Au Pair." I do not own Once Upon a Time or Au Pair.

Belle French had just graduated from college. She had gotten her degree in Business Management and couldn’t wait to get out in the world and use it. But for right now, she was in Storybrooke, Maine, surrounded by friends and family at her graduation party in the backyard of her home.

Belle looked over at her father, Moe French. He was grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for their guests at her graduation party. Her dad was a great man, so thoughtful; he had even helped her plan and put together this party. He was so proud of his little girl.

A motorcycle pulled up into the driveway. Belle grinned and ran over to the man atop it. “George! I’m so happy you could make it!” She cried, throwing her hands around his neck and pecking him on the lips.  
George Gaston smiled back at her. “Like I would miss my own fiancé’s graduation party? Really, Belle?” Belle giggled quietly and grabbed his hand as they walked toward the party.  
~~~~  
Mr. French looked warily at George as they approached. He wasn’t sure whether he should trust the man or not. He was nice enough, handsome, well built, very tall, at least 6” 4’, while his little Belle was a mere Five-two. But there was something off about George that he just could not place. Sure, he was a father and all fathers had doubts about the men their daughters chose to live their entire precious lives in the company of. But eventually they accepted that the gentlemen in question had their daughters’ best interest and happiness at heart. But Moe French sometimes heartily questioned if the same was true for this George Gaston…

~~~~  
After nearly everyone had left the party, George had taken Belle aside and told her that he had the opportunity to go to Europe and practice his photography there. He would be gone for six months. Belle was devastated. They had planned on saving up for a down payment on the house they wanted to buy, and now, since he had the opportunity, George was going to just go off and frolic around Europe without her for six months. But Belle had no choice in the matter. He was leaving the very next day, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Belle had said goodbye to George at the airport the next morning. She was going to try to find an internship here in the States. It was a good thing they had invented Skype. Belle knew she would miss George, but such was life. That was one of her favorite sayings, actually… “C’est la vie.” Her last name was not the only French thing about her. ..  
Her father was a pure blood Australian. He had moved to the states to open his florist shop there. After all, America was the land of Opportunity, was it not? They had moved there when Belle was twelve years old, just a year after her mother had died. Being in Australia after his wife’s death was just too hard for Moe.

Marie Gagnier’s parents had both been born in France and had immigrated to Australia when Marie was still a little girl. When Marie was nineteen, she had met Maurice French, a young Australian, and the two fell in love immediately. They were married soon after Marie’s twenty-first birthday, and Belle was born a little over a year later.  
When Belle was ten years old, her mother found out that she had leukemia. By the time Belle had turned eleven, Marie had lost her fight to the cancer raging in her body. Belle and her father had been devastated. And then her whole life was being uprooted and being moved to the United States of America. She was also the only student with an Australian accent at her school, which made her quite the novelty- and made her feel like she was somehow different than the rest of the kids her age.

Now here she was, twenty seven years old, with her Masters, living with her father, and with no job. Belle was restless. Employment was necessary for her at the moment. She had to start paying off her student loans, and she also wanted to start saving up for the down payment that she and George had discussed for their house after they were married. Maybe if she saved enough she could pay the down payment herself and then move out of her father’s house and start living on her own, like she had dreamed of doing for years now. So, she started scouring the Web, the newspaper, anything she could find to see if there were any jobs whatsoever that called for a degree in business management.  
Finally, one day she got the chance to be interviewed at the very prestigious Gold Industries in Boston. Luckily, her and her father lived in Storybrooke, which wasn’t too far from Boston at all. 

Gold Industries was a limited liability company that owned, operated, and developed hotels, resorts, ski lodges, golf courses. Belle was certain that with her resume she would surely have a great chance of getting the job. She rehearsed all the answers to the questions she thought they would ask her. She was more than ready for this interview.  
~~~~  
When Belle arrived at Gold Industries for her interview, she was shown right into Mr. Gold’s office, the CEO and President of Gold Industries. The man himself didn’t even look up from the papers he was looking at when she entered the room, let alone stand, like any true gentleman would. He did not shake her hand, either. It was as if she was not even there. 

Finally, he looked up. “You must be Miss French. Impressive Resume, Miss French, but I don’t see how it has anything to do with the job. At any rate, you have the best resume I have seen so far.” The tension in the room seemed to slowly melt as he stated this fact. Mr. Gold grimaced and quickly shut his eyes. It was as if he were thinking very hard and that no matter what level of intensity he thought, thinking hurt. Then he opened his eyes, and dark brown met ocean blue. He stared straight into her eyes, and said as if he were so very intelligent, “So you have the job. Congratulations. We will be leaving in the morning to go to Scotland. Be at the Boston airport tomorrow morning at 7am. Thank you, you are dismissed.”

Belle staid rooted to the spot. She was shocked. How did her resume not have anything to do with the job? It was Gold Industries, for goodness sake! Of course, she was glad that she had gotten the job so easily. And what was all this about going to Scotland? Of course, she knew that Mr. Gold was from Scotland, she had done her research, and his Scottish Brogue when he spoke was fairly thick. But she had thought most of his business was done in the United States… Maybe she was wrong.

“Something wrong, dearie?” Mr. Gold sneered, breaking Belle’s reverie. 

Belle stuttered. “S…Scotland, sir?”

“Well, yes, of course. Now do you want the job or not, because I am fairly sure that I can just as easily get someone else…”

Belle shook her head. “Of course not, sir! I mean, no, you don’t need to get someone else. I will gladly meet you tomorrow morning. Thank you, have a good day.” She scurried out of the room as if her life depended on it. Her new boss was a real piece of work…


	2. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle goes with Mr. Gold to Scotland and meets his son, Baethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I dont own Once upon a time or au pair

When Belle got back to Storybrooke that evening, she was an absolute mess. In the midst of throwing most of her belongings into a few bags, she filled her father in on what had happened. He was in total shock. His little girl was leaving the country, and she would be leaving the very next morning. It was all such short notice, he couldn’t even throw her a proper going away party.

“Sc…SCOTLAND? What is that man thinking? Doesn’t he know how much it takes for women to pack for a small trip, let alone a trip half way across the world in which they will need most of their belongings? That man must be crazy! And to think he believes he can just tell you the afternoon before you leave that you are going to be leaving the country. What would he have done if you didn’t have a passport?”

Belle sighed as she shoved more of her clothes into one of her suitcases. “I have a feeling he would have found a way. He seems like the sort of man who will do anything to get what he wants, no matter what. Believe me, Dad, I am just as shocked about having to leave the country as you are to hear that I am going to be gone tomorrow morning by the time you wake up.”

Before Belle went to sleep that night, her father brought her bags down to set by the front door and made sure that she had arranged for a cab to take her to the airport. He hugged her goodnight and goodbye, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and told her to make sure she kept him up to date on everything that happened to her while she was away.  
~~~~

The next morning at 6:45 am, Belle was at the front of the Boston airport, waiting for Mr. Gold to arrive. Finally a limousine showed up in front of the airport. Belle wondered who on earth could be inside the vehicle.A man stepped out and grabbed some bags out of the trunk, and the back door opened, two legs and a cane becoming visible. And there he was, Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold had just arrived in a limo. "Woah, what?!?!" Belle thought." Holy Cow! Well I guess his name fits his financial state in life…" Belle laughed a little to herself at the joke she had just made.

As the other man came around the car with the bags, it was then that Belle got a good look at the Gold. He wasn’t tall, like George, just an average height. He had brown hair that barely brushed his shoulders, and was greying at the temples. He was slight, but it was obvious he held a hidden power within. He was impeccably dressed in a three- piece, pin-stripe suit with a navy blue dress shirt and a maroon tie. He even had a maroon pocket square in the breast pocket of his jacket. If anything, this man was certainly dressed to impress. He dressed with class. Belle looked down at her own outfit. Well, she had tried to dress to impress. She wore her best dress, a black and white little number that went to her knees. But compared to him and how he was dressed, she felt like she might be a just a piece of dust, miniscule and so very… un-classy.

The two men came in through the see-through doors. “Ah. Miss French. It is good to see that you are a punctual person, at the very least.“ Mr. Gold sneered.

Belle smiled, even if it was very possibly the worst fake smile she had ever conjured up on her face. “Yes, sir. If I am anything, I am punctual to a fault.”

Gold did not answer. He just sneered at her and walked on ahead. His driver smiled at her apologetically. “You must forgive him, ma’am. He can be quite rough most of the time. My name is Dove. Yours?”

“Belle. Belle French. ” She looked ahead to Gold and then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Why is he so mean?” she asked Dove.

Dove chuckled at her inquisition. “Mr. Gold has lived a long life, Miss French. I’ve known him for about half of it. A lot has happened to that man that the world doesn’t know about. Just give him the benefit of the doubt. I promise you can trust me, and you won’t be disappointed.”

“Thank you, Mr. Dove. I promise I will give him a chance if you think he is worth it and will be a good employer, than I will work hard and do as you say.”

“Please, call me Dove.”

“Alright, Dove. But then I must insist you call me Belle.” Belle smiled up at the tall driver. He looked like he could be a linebacker for a Super Bowl winning team, but he was one of the gentlest men Belle had ever seen. She decided she would have to email George about him and her new job and see if he was going to be in Scotland in the near future so that they could meet up and spend some time together. She hadn’t seen him in at least two months and she missed him so much. 

Before long all three of them were seated on the plane in first class. Mr. Gold sat by himself, and looked to be engrossed in his work. Dove sat next to Belle and they made idle chit chat. It seemed they would be landing in Glasgow and then continuing on to his home. 

“Where does Mr. Gold live?” Belle asked.

“He lives just off the shores of Loch Lomond.” Dove whispered back.

“You are kidding me?” Belle whisper screamed.

“No, not at all. Why do you ask?”

“I have always wanted to see Loch Lomond! When I was five I heard a song by that name. IT was so beautiful! Have you heard it? I’ve always wanted to see the place where two lovers could experience such heartbreak! It’s so incredible, a really moving song.”

“Why, Belle, are you a romantic?” Dove asked in faux shock. Then he chuckled and said, “Yes, I have heard it. It is a pretty famous song, especially in Scotland.”

“Dove, you have no idea. I am definitely a romantic type person. I read like all the time. I am in love with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry. I am like, an ultra-romantic.”

Dove chuckled. “I certainly hope that you are able to bring some adventure and joy to your job. Goodness knows it is needed. But really, we have a very long trip still ahead of us. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

Belle wondered what he meant, and how in the world she could bring adventure and joy to a business job, but she trusted Dove. So she nodded and settled in to take a nap and see where her dreams took her.

Before she knew it, she was being gently shaken and told by a soft voice that she should awake. They were only an hour away from Glasgow. She looked up at the voice speaking to her with squinted eyes. It was Dove. He smiled at her as she came to, rubbing her face and wondering how long she had slept for.

“ How long was I asleep?” she asked him.

“About four hours, Miss. You must have been quite worn out.”

“Yes, well, I did not sleep well last night. I suppose I was nervous about my new job, and all that it would entail. Besides the fact that this is my first time going to Europe. I may be from Australia but that doesn’t mean I don’t still get excited or nervous about going to new places, especially where I will most likely stick out.”

“This is yer first time going to Europe? I assure you that Scotland is the perfect place to start. It is perfect there…beautiful, and homey. As for your new job; I suggest you just be nice to him and everything will be alright.”

“Why on Earth wouldn’t I be nice to Mr. Gold? He gave me a job, after all. I am extremely grateful to him.”

“Oh Mr. Gold isn’t the ‘he’ I was speaking of, Miss. I was speaking of young Mr. Beathan Gold, Mr. Gold’s son. You will be working with him. If you are cordial to him, his father will not give you any trouble.”

“Beathan Gold? I did not know that Mr. Gold had a son. How old is Beathan?”

“The young Mister is fourteen.”

Belle gasped. “Fourteen! And he works for his father?”

Dove gave her a quizzical look. “No, Miss. That would be strange indeed. You are to be the young Mister’s nanny… his caretaker.”

Belle was stunned. Everything was beginning to make sense. How could she possibly have been so wrong? Here she was, on a plane to Scotland, thinking that she was the newest member of a prestigious group of business people at Gold Industries, and yet the real job she had gotten was the part of a caretaker for a fourteen year old boy. What on Earth had happened? “Oh.”

“Did you not know that, Miss… Belle?” Dove asked.

Belle shook her head. “No, not at all. I thought I had gotten a job with Gold Industries, not a job for the Gold family themselves. Why does Beathan need a caretaker? Doesn’t he have a mother?”

“Aye, he did have a mother, Miss French. But that is none of your concern. You just stick to helping my boy with his homework, being with him when I cannot, and other activities and that will be all that is required of you.”   
Both Dove and Belle jumped at the sound of Mr. Gold’s voice. He had been listening to their conversation for quite some time, it seemed.

“Y-yes, sir.” She replied.

“Also, Miss French. You are not to call my son ‘Beathan’ unless he gives you his express permission to do so. He will be “young mister” as you have heard Dove call him.”

“Of course, sir.” She said, her voice stronger this time.

Mr. Gold returned his attention back to the paperwork in front of him. Dove looked at Belle with admiration. “You handled that beautifully, Belle. Most would have cowered before him. You stood strong in front of him. He likes a person who can stand strong in the face of his taunts.”

Belle hummed in approval. “I see. So, basically, I should do the brave thing and bravery will follow. And if I do this I will get on Mr. Gold’s good side?”

“Yes, exactly that.”

“What is ‘the young mister’ like? Is he has stuck up and irritable as his father?” 

Dove chuckled softly. “Quite the contrary, but I think I shall let you see for yourself.”

Finally, they landed at the airport in Glasgow, and there was a car waiting for them outside. Dove informed her that the house was about twenty-three kilometers to the north of Glasgow. Belle’s face wrinkled up in confusion, which made Dove laugh. He whispered, “It’s about fourteen miles.” Belle smiled and nodded in understanding. 

The countryside of Scotland was some of the most gorgeous scenery that Belle had ever seen. Everything was so green, and looked so healthy. She couldn’t believe that something so simple could be so profoundly beautiful. She was staring out the window with no doubt a look of admiration on her face when she thought she could feel Gold’s eyes upon her, boring into the back of her head. She turned to look at him. He, indeed, was looking at her, with a look of scrutiny upon his face. He scowled when she smiled at him.

“Scotland is beautiful, sir. I am so grateful for the opportunity to see it so up close and personal. I don’t think I have ever seen anything so remarkable in my life, even in Australia.”

“Yes, well, your main concerns will be my son, and not wandering about the Scottish countryside like some common Romantic American tourist.”

“Of course, sir. I understand that perfectly well.”

He did not answer her, but began to fiddle with his smart phone, no doubt answering emails for his business. Belle looked back out the window. Suddenly, she gasped, causing Gold to look up from his work. He followed her gaze out the window and smirked. “That, Miss French, is Caislean a’ Or. That is my home.” 

Belle gaped at him. “That castle is where you live?!”

The smirk was still on his face. “Aye, Miss French. It is the family estate. Caislean a’ Or has been the family home for centuries.”

Belle couldn’t believe it. She was in Scotland, surrounded by beautiful greenery, with Loch Lomond not far away, and she was to be living in a CASTLE. Even though she knew she was just a simple employee of Mr. Gold, one of the many, actually, she felt that she was a princess, and the castle before her only solidified this feeling in her.

“It is beautiful.” She whispered, in awe of the whole scene. The Castle was set in the midst of a green, green part. There were cherry trees in the front lawn, and a fountain stood in the very middle of the roundabout driveway. Behind the castle in the distance a lake could be seen. Belle assumed that that must be Loch Lomond, and she was practically squirming in her seat with excitement. She wondered when the first chance she could get out would be, because she was dying to explore the castle grounds and see the Loch.  
At last, they pulled up in front of the castle, and a young boy appeared at the front entrance. He was dressed in what appeared to be a private school’s uniform, with long, navy blue dress pants, a white shirt, maroon sweater vest, and blue sports jacket, which had some sort of school crest on the breast pocket. Belle immediately assumed that this was Beathan Gold. He quickly descended the steps of the castle and strode toward the car. Dove let Mr. Gold and Belle out of the back seat. Mr. Gold hugged his son and then step back to introduce him to the new caretaker. 

“Bea, this is your new caretaker, Miss Belle French.” Belle smiled brightly, and stuck out her hand for the younger Mr. Gold to take.   
“It is nice to meet you.” She said, cordially.

Beathan beamed back at her. He was just about as tall as her, and he seemed like a very nice young man indeed. “Nice to meet you, Miss French!” he replied, his voice slightly cracking at the end. This embarrassed him beyond belief and he blushed a deep red. Mr. Gold chuckled knowingly. “Bea, why don’t you show Miss French to her room. Dove will be up shortly with your bags, Miss French.” He stated, and then walked on toward the house. “I’ll be in the study, Bea.” He called without looking back. Bea looked back at Belle. “Well, young mister, shall we?” she asked.

Bea frowned. “He did not seriously already tell you to only call me ‘young mister,’ did he?”

“Yes, he did.”

Bea shook his head in disbelief. “That will not do. You will call me Beathan if you want, Miss French, and even ‘Bea’ if you are comfortable with it.”  
Belle smiled at him, ready at a word to reassure him. “Then I insist you call me Belle.”

“As you wish, m’ lady. Now, shall I escort you to your rooms?” Bea said with a mock gentlemanly bow.

Belle giggled. “Of course, kind sir!” 

Bea smiled again and stuck out his elbow to her. He took her inside the castle, and then proceeded to climb a set of stairs to the right of the main entrance. When they arrived at the landing he led her down a hallway and then stopped, opening her door for her and letting her walk in before him.

“Anything you could want is at your disposal, Belle. Just let me or Da know… no, I take that back. Just let me know and I’ll take care o’ it. Don’t go to Da. Not just yet. ” Bea said from the doorway. Belle turned to him.

“These rooms are gorgeous, Bea; thank you.” She said, enamored with her rooms already. But Bea was not smiling. Belle knew immediately something was wrong. “Is something the matter, Beathan?” she asked, clearly concerned that she may have done something wrong.

“He is the matter.”

“He?”

“Yes- Papa. I have a feeling he treated you less than kindly, didn’t he? Why can’t he just be cordial for once in his life?!” The boy sounded exasperated.

“I have yet to earn his trust, Beathan. I suppose it is to be expected.”

“No, he acts like this to everyone, besides me, mostly. Even people he works with are met with scowls and shark grins that are full of mischief. “

“Don’t worry about me, Bea. I can handle his scowls just fine. Don’t you worry.”

“I’m afraid I do worry.” Bea frowned.

Belle felt bad for the boy. It was clear he was unhappy with his father’s behavior. “Hey now, haven’t you ever heard the old song ‘Smile.’ It goes something like this:  
"Smile though your heart is aching  
Smile even though it’s breaking.  
Though there are clouds, in the sky, you’ll get by.  
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,  
Smile, and maybe tomorrow  
You’ll see the sun come shining through  
If you  
Just smile.”

Bea offered her a sad smile then, and whispered, “I shall certainly try, Belle. I shall certainly try.”


	3. Yon Bonnie Banks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold family dinner, and Belle/ Bae bonding time.  
> A little of Mr. Gold's perspective...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you all think!!! I hope you enjoy this next installment in the "I'll Be in Scotland" fanfic!  
> I do not own once upon a time.

Bea had told Belle that she could rest for the remainder of the day, seeing as she most likely would suffer from jet lag sooner or later, and she would need to rest from such an ordeal as that.

When she awoke the light was waning outside and she could tell it was evening, most likely almost time for dinner. She had no idea where the dining room in this massive estate was. Luckily, before he had left her, Bea had left her with his cell phone number, in case she should need to contact him.

So she grabbed her phone and texted him, saying: 

"Hey Bea, it’s Belle. Um…where are you? Have I missed supper? I don ‘t know where the Dining Room is…"

A few moments later, her phone vibrated, and she saw that she had a text from him.

"Haha! Don’t worry, Belle. I’ll be just a moment. Stay in your room!”"

While she waited, she checked herself in the mirror and fixed her hair and makeup. It had been a long day and she looked just a little worse for the wear. Suddenly, she heard a soft knock on her door. “Come in!” she called.

Bea opened the door, but did not enter the room. He smiled at her. “Supper is in five minutes, Belle. If we hurry, we’ll get there before Papa and he won’t be cross.”

“Yes, I seem to remember that he likes punctuality.”

“Aye, and he is not overly fond o’ people who do not respect punctuality. Hurry, we don’ have much time now to get to the dinin room.”

Bea extended his elbow to her like he had before, and together they hurried forth to try to make it to the dining room before Mr. Gold arrived. Belle wondered where Bea had learned to be such a gentleman. Perhaps at school? Surely his father hadn’t taught him how to be a gentleman. “Tell me, Bea, where did you learn such manners?”

“Well, my Da taught me most of what I know, about how to be a gentleman, and how to treat a lady. And my school cemented a lot of it.”

Belle was shocked. Mr. Gold had taught his son how to be a gentleman, but didn’t act like one himself? How strange…

“Hmmm…” was all Belle could think to say.

When they got to the Dining Room and had seated themselves, Bea to the right of the head of the table, and Belle to the left, they heard the distinct sound of the tapping of a cane on the floor. Bea grinned at Belle… they had made it just in time.

Mr. Gold entered the room. Bea stood and nodded to his father, who returned the nod. Belle immediately stood, and dipped her head in a short curtsey, which she hoped was acceptable. When she looked up again, Mr. Gold was stone-faced, but she thought she saw a twinkle in his eye as he nodded his head in her direction.

Supper was a solemn affair, and Belle finally had the chance to compare father and son. Both men were slight in build, but it looked that Bea might just be a bit more broad-shouldered than his father… They both had dark brown eyes that Belle could easily find herself getting lost in, if she didn’t pay attention. Both men had brown hair, yet Bea’s was a tad darker than his father’s. They looked very similar, having the same eyes, nose, and chin. Overall, they both had very handsome features. They weren’t blatantly good-looking, like George, but at the same time, they were not ugly, nor plain. They were a very handsome pair, this father and son. She caught them grinning only once or twice. It was the same smile; a crooked grin, full of mischief, she thought.

When Mr. Gold had finished, he placed the linen napkin that had been on his lap on the tabletop and stood. Bea stood as well, and Belle followed suit. “I’ll be going to Glasgow early in the morning, Bea. Be sure that Miss French gets settled and is comfortable with her accommodations.”

“But Da, tomorrow is Sunday, do ya really have to go to the office on a Sunday?”

Mr. Gold gave his son a sharp look that indicated he would not tolerate any arguing over the matter. “Beathan.”

“Yes, of course, Papa.”

Mr. Gold sighed. He nodded toward his son. “Bea.”

His son nodded back. “Papa.”

He then turned to Belle. “Miss French.”

Belle curtseyed again. “Mr. Gold.” Mr. Gold promptly left the room. Bea squirmed. “I’m sorry. Papa shouldn’t be so rude…”

“There is nothing to apologize for, Beathan! Now, what shall we do tomorrow, hmm?” she asked.

“Well, tomorrow is Sunday, so we’ll be going to Church first thing in the morning, and then after that I’m not sure… won’t you have jet lag pretty bad tomorrow?”

Belle smiled at the young boy’s consideration. “Perhaps, but I’ll live. You know what I would really love?”

“What’s that?”

“I think that you should take me to Loch Lomond, and we could have a picnic lunch and then spend the rest of the day there. Maybe I could read a book out loud?”

Bea looked doubtful as he escorted her out into the hall. “I’d love to take you to the Loch, but will Da say? I don’t think he’ll approve. And you want to read to me? What in the bloody world could ya want to read to me?”

“Bea you shouldn’t really speak that way.” Belle admonished him gently. “And your father will be in Glasgow, he won’t have to know. And I was hoping we might read some of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”… have you heard of it?”

“Of course I have! What a ridiculous question to ask! Lewis himself was from these fair Isles…” Bea’s seriousness made Belle giggle, and her merriness made Bea laugh a bit too.

“Well, I’m going to head to my room now to finish up some last minute studying before I go to bed. Goodnight, Belle.” Bea said, and then he unexpectedly through his arms around Belle’s shoulders, but quickly let go. 

“Goodnight, Bea!” Belle sighed. They parted, each to go to their own rooms.

Shortly after Belle had gotten back to her room, she changed into her pajamas, and put on her robe and sat down on the window seat to read before bed. Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Thinking it must be Bea, she crossed the room, and threw open the door, only to reveal Mr. Gold standing behind it. He looked visibly shocked that she was in her pajamas, but he recovered his stony expression quickly. Her smile immediately fell. “Yes, sir?”

“Miss French, I expect that you will take the upmost care of my son tomorrow while I am gone. If you should need anything, I have taken the liberty of writing down my personal cell number on this card. You may use it if you wish, but only if the need is great.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Mr. Gold, for everything.”

“‘Tis no matter. Goodnight, Miss French.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Gold!” 

She closed the door as he turned and laughed. That man was an enigma. She just could not figure him out. He seemed to really love his son, but yet he was leaving tomorrow to go to his office and work…on a Sunday. He taught his son how to be a gentleman, but did not act like one himself. His exterior pointed toward everything that was mean and hateful in this world, but Belle could not help but think that there was good in him. And she was determined to find it, to bring it out, no matter what she need to do. Her reading was spoiled for the night as she could not take her mind off the family she was staying with for who knew how long. She turned off her bedside lamp. The last thing she thought before she slipped into sleep was that she needed to email George the next day and fill him in on everything.  
~~~~

The next thing she knew, Belle’s alarm clock was going off. She moaned tiredly and whacked the alarm with the palm of her hand. Thankfully, the awful noise coming from the alarm was silenced. She crawled out of the bed and dragged herself to the closet to pick out her outfit for Church that morning. She decided on a lovely blue and white dress. Once she put it on, she went over to the adjoining bathroom and brushed her teeth, put on her make up, and put her hair in a do that was half up, and half down. She checked herself in the mirror, and satisfied, went back into the bedroom. She saw she had gotten a text from Bea about five minutes beforehand.   
"Are you ready?"

She quickly wrote back that she had just finished, and then he responded that he’d be right there to get her. A few minutes later, there he was, dressed in a three- piece suit and looking like his father.

“Well, good morning Bea. You look very dapper this morning, very much like your father.” Belle grinned.

“Yes, well, Da already left. We should get going.”

“Of course.”

Belle followed Bea down the stairs and outside. A car was waiting for them. Bea opened the door for Belle, and after she had climbed in, he got in. The rest of the car ride was silent. Belle could tell Bea was not happy with his father for leaving them that morning. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything to him, and what she would even say if she did. So she kept silent.

Finally, they arrived at the church. Bea got out first and then gave Belle his hand to help her out. The Church was a small stone church that must have been there for centuries. It was beautiful. Belle knew she was going to love coming here. 

They went inside and the Service began. Bea showed her where all the songs were in the hymnal, and they sang along together. Bea had a very clear, wonderful voice, and Belle complimented him on it the very first moment she got. 

Afterwards, they drove back. At the base of the stairs, Bea told her that he would meet her in a half hour and that she should be sure to wear comfortable clothes because it was going to be quite the walk to the Loch, and plus they were going to be picnicking there.

Belle rushed upstairs and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and grabbed a sweatshirt because it was just a bit chilly out. She then went over to the little bookshelf that was placed beside her bed and looked through the various volumes she had brought with her. She found the large book that contained the complete Chronicles of Narnia series, and she picked it up. She also threw her hair back into a pony tail so her long curls would be out of her face while they were down at the Loch. Then she put on her tennis shoes. She looked at her phone again. She had a text from an unknown number.  
"Hello, Miss French. This is Mr. Gold. I did not get your   
number last night, so I took the liberty of asking  
my son for it this morning before I left. I trust everything is going well.  
Have a good day.  
R. Gold"

Belle was shocked. Mr. Gold had texted her. Did he really not trust her with his son? Than why did he even hire her? The man could be so irritating! She stuffed the phone into her pocket without replying. She hefted up the book, and started down the stairs to meet Bea. He was at the bottom of the stairs with a picnic basket beside him on the ground. He was leaning on the railing looking at his phone and frowning. He had changed into jeans and a polo shirt.

She reached him in no time. “Is something the matter, Bea?” Belle asked. Bea looked up at her, startled. He hadn’t heard her coming.

“No, it’s just my father. He was making sure everything was alright here. He wouldn’t have to ask that if he had just stayed here in the first place.” Bea grumbled.

“Don’t worry about it, Bea. Let’s go to Loch Lomond now, huh?”

Bea simply nodded and picked up the picnic basket. He began walking out the door and Belle followed him. They crossed the drive and the lawns of the park, and then headed out the main entrance. Bea said that the Loch was only about a mile away. Belle was glad of that. She enjoyed walking with Bea, but she was very anxious to see the Loch. She hoped that it was as beautiful as she had heard, as beautiful as the song made it out to be. 

Within fifteen minutes, Belle could see the Loch. Soon they were standing next to it’s beautiful shore. Belle gasped. Bea looked at her worriedly. He set the basket down. “What’s up?” he asked.

“It’s just so beautiful. How in the world do you keep yourself away from this place?”

Bea’s only response was a soft chuckle, and he turned his gaze back out onto the Loch. It was all so peaceful. It seemed like the perfect place to do so many things. It was the perfect place to read, and picnic, of course, but Belle could imagine herself getting lost in her thoughts in this place, with how serene it was. 

At some point, Bea had set up a blanket and was sitting down on it, opening up the basket. Belle’s thoughts were far away, in the place where George was. She missed him, and this place made her miss him even more. She so wished she could show this beautiful place to him. She thought he might like it. Everything about Loch Lomond was romantic, and she wished so badly that he were there to share it with her. 

Suddenly, she wasn’t sure what came over her, but she started to sing. Her voice was an alto, and she had never thought her voice to be particularly good, only average. All the same, Bea looked at her with wonder…  
"By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes,  
Where the Sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,  
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae  
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond"

Then another voice joined Belle’s, a young, clear voice, and Belle knew that it was Bea who had begun to sing along with her.  
"Oh ye take the high road, and I’ll take the low road,  
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye  
For me and my true love will never meet again  
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond."

Then it was silent. Belle and Bea just looked at each other. “Your voice is pretty, Belle.” Bea said, blushing.

Belle laughed, “Thank you Bea. Yours isn’t bad either!”

Bea blushed more, cleared his throat and then said, “How about we eat something now.” Belle laughed to herself. Yup, Bea was a typical man, food always came first! She was glad he was starting to act more human around her. He seemed more sincere and less stiff. The day before he had been so kind to her, yet, something about the way he was constantly perfect in his manners, seemed stranger to her. Now, he seemed more comfortable just acting himself around her. She liked that.

She nodded. “Great idea!” She sat down on the blanket as Bea opened the basket and grabbed what was inside.

“Mrs. Potts packed sandwiches for us, and apples, and she put some lemonade in a thermos for us too. Would you like me to pour you some?” Bea asked.

Belle nodded. “That sounds great! Hey, how about you tell me about school? Do you have any friends there?”

“Yeah! It’s an all-boys academy. I have two really close friends there, David and Henry. They are brothers. Their sister goes to an all-girls academy that is like the sister school of ours. Her name is Emma. She is… awesome.”

Belle giggled knowingly. “You have a crush on her, don’t you?”

“What?! No!”

“Haha, suit yourself, but the smile on your face and the blush on your cheeks gives you away entirely. I’m going to start reading now, ok?”

“Sure.” Bea said as he leaned back on the blanket and watched the sky as she began to read to him.

~~~~

Robert Gold arrived home at about five that evening. Neither Bea nor Miss French had answered his texts all day, and he was now very frustrated and extremely worried. He immediately went to Bea’s room to see if he were there. The room was empty. Next, he went to Belle’s room. Again, it was empty. The castle was quite large. He did not want to go limping all over it to find his son and the new caretaker. So, he went to the kitchen to find Mrs. Potts.

When he got there, he called out. “Mrs. Potts! Mrs. POTTS!!”

An older woman came ambling out of the pantry. “Oh quit your squawking, laddy, I hear ye.” She said as she waddled toward him.

“Mrs. Potts.” Robert said curtly. “Have you seen either my son or his caretaker today?”

“Aye, Bea came in not long after noontime. He asked me to make up a picnic lunch for him and Miss French. Seems they were planning a visit to the Loch. Haven’t seen them since then.”

“THEY WHAT?! What in the bloody hell were they thinking? Who does that girl thinks she is, ambling off with my son in tow? Is she out of her BLOODY mind?”

“Temper, temper, young man. I don’t know the answers to yer questions. Perhaps you go find them and ask her yeself?”

Robert just huffed and stormed out of the kitchen as quickly as a man with a limp possibly could. The Loch was nearly a mile away. He couldn’t simply walk there! His knee would give him trouble, and he shuddered to think of the repercussions it would have tomorrow on it if he even attempted the trek. So, he simply grabbed the keys to his sports car and headed out to the garage. He didn’t need Dove to drive him right now. He needed to think. Dove would ask questions. He didn’t want to answer questions. 

Before long he was driving down the road to the Loch. He shuddered to think of what that Miss French had done to his boy, his Bea. She probably drowned him and then fled the scene of the crime. Yes, he had hired her. But he did not trust her yet. Trust was something that needed to be earned, and Miss French had certainly not earned his yet. He parked his car, and started toward the Loch. He was right behind a rather large Oak tree when he saw them. He stopped in his tracks. Bea was lying with his hands behind his head. They looked to have finished their Lunch a very long time ago. Miss French was reading some book to him as she sipped something from her glass. Something she had just read made Bea laugh, really and truly laugh. He hadn’t heard Bea laugh in such a long, long time… and this woman had gotten it out of him. Maybe she was just what his son needed, perhaps a bit of a mother-figure. She could provide him with womanly wisdom every so often; maybe… maybe hiring her wasn’t a bad idea after all. Maybe he could trust her, trust her with his Bea. He wasn’t sure yet, but he would be sure to find out as soon as he could.


	4. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Gold happens upon Belle and Bae. Belle sees George. Some fluff ensues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the little wait. I was working on later chapters and generally felt uninspired. Let me know what your thinking! Would you like a bit of Bae's perspective?

Mr. Gold stepped out into the clearing where Bea and Belle were sitting. As he neared them he could now hear Belle’s lilting Australian accent as she read to Bea. He listened for a moment. Ahh, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” That was Bea’s favorite. Did Bea tell her that? Or had she just decided that she wanted to read it to him? Miss French was a bit of a conundrum. Well, at least Bea wasn’t floating cold and dead at the bottom of Loch Lomond. He could be grateful for that. 

He put on his stone-faced mask as he once again stepped closer. “Miss French.” He said, with absolutely no emotion in his voice whatsoever. Belle looked up, startled, but Bea practically flew through the air and landed on his feet before his father. “Da! What on Earth are you doing here? We didn’t expect you back until late tonight!”

Bea was blushing furiously, thinking that he would be in trouble. Well, as angry as Gold had been just a few minutes before, he could see that the two had been enjoying themselves, so he supposed he couldn’t be too mad, but he wouldn’t dare show that to either of them. “I decided to come home early when none of my texts to either of you were answered. Is there a reason for that, hmmm?” 

Both Belle and Bea grabbed for their phones, and both became visibly flushed when they saw all the texts they had missed. “I suppose we got too caught up in the story to notice that you had tried to get ahold of us, sir. We must have lost all track of time.” Belle said as she looked up to see where the sun was in the sky. 

“Yes, well, I suggest you both pack up these things immediately, dearie. I will be waiting for you in the car.” Mr. Gold replied tersely and then left them to limp back to his car.

~~~~

“Do you think he was very angry at us?” Belle asked Bea as she helped him pack of the picnic basket and the blanket.

“I don’t think very. You would have known it if he was very angry with us, believe me. But still, he called you ‘dearie’ and that is not a term of affection for him. He uses it with people he doesn’t much care for.” Bea replied, picking up the basket, and warily walking toward his father’s vehicle.

“Oh. Well, you go on ahead and enjoy the time you have with your father. I want to spend just a little bit more time here by the Loch and then I’ll be back at the house.” Belle told Bea. 

He looked hesitant for a moment. “Are you sure, Belle?”

“Yes, I am. Now run along. I won’t be long.”

“Ok.” Bea started off for his father’s car. She was sure he could explain her absence to the business executive. Besides, she had a feeling both father and son needed some alone time. She walked over to the shoreline and looked out on the water pondering for a moment. She breathed in the scent of the trees, and the water. It was all so… refreshing, beautiful, and peaceful.

She wished her dad and George could see this beautiful sight. She missed them so much. As soon as she could get up to her rooms that night she would email both of them to tell them of her affairs. Mr. Gold would probably want to lecture her when she got back to the house about the idiocy of taking his son to Loch Lomond without informing him of the plan first. But then she would be free to do what she liked. She had been unable to inform George of her new job. He didn’t even know she was in Scotland. What a great fiancée she was! “I need to start making an effort to talk to him more.” She thought. “But then again, he hasn’t really kept me up to date…” At that, Belle slapped herself on the forehead. “Come on, Belle! He’s been busy! You know that. Before judging him, why not make a little effort yourself! Besides, you do miss him!”

With one last longing look at Loch Lomond, she began to slowly walk back to the house. She was there within twenty minutes. Bea and Gold were standing in the foyer talking. The son was practically begging the father to go out to eat that night. Mr. Gold seemed to be conflicted. Bea turned to Belle and said “Belle, please convince father that it is a perfect night to go out for dinner.”

Belle smiled. “I’m afraid it is up to your father. I won’t interfere either way.”

Mr. Gold seemed surprised by her answer; he must have though she was going to agree with Bea. After a moment, he sighed. “Alright, son. We can go out. Go grab your jacket though. It will be quite chilly when we come back.”

Bea grinned and ran up the stairs to his room. Gold looked over at Belle. “Shouldn’t you get your jacket as well, Miss French?”

She was shocked. Mr. Gold wanted her to go with them? “Um. Yeah. Of course. I’ll be right back.”

She rushed up to her room and changed into a nice blouse, but kept her jeans on, and she grabbed her fall jacket to put on over her blouse. She then bounced down the stairs and met Mr. Gold and Bea at the front door. She smiled brightly at them. “I’m ready.” 

Belle heard Mr. Gold muttered under his breath, “Well, it’s about bloody time.”

She cringed but didn’t acknowledge the insult further. Mr. Gold opened the door for them and let Bea and Belle walk out to the car before him. Belle saw no sign of Dove anywhere. She wondered where on earth he could possibly be. Then she saw Gold open the driver’s door. Oh, that explained Dove’s absence. Mr. Gold was driving. Bea turned to Belle. “Would you like to sit in the front seat?” he asked.

“No, thank you, Bea. I’ll let you sit up front.” She replied as the made their way around to the other side of the car. She could only imagine how awkward that would be. Mr. Gold and she barely had anything to say to each other as it was. 

The drive to the restaurant was fairly short. The trio didn’t talk much, except when Bea would ask Belle trivial questions about the States or Australia. 

Because Mr. Gold was such a well-known person, they were seated quickly and had ordered their drinks within five minutes of arriving. Belle excused herself to go to the ladies room. On her way back to their table, she stopped short by an all too familiar head of black hair and piercing blue eyes. She briskly walked up to the table where George and an unfamiliar young lady were kissing while waiting for their order. 

“Hello, George.” She said, coldly. George turned to her in surprise as his face fell and he stumbled to get out of his chair to talk with her. As soon as he was standing, Belle gave him a left hook square in the jaw. 

“How could you, George? How could you sit there and kiss some other girl that you barely know when you are ENGAGED to me. You are positively primeval! Am I not good enough for you? Is that it? Well, guess what? I’ll just take my little unworthy self away and never see you again, since that is obviously what you want. We are DONE!” She ripped off her engagement ring and threw it at his face. She began to walk quickly back to her table.

She heard the other woman speak sharply. “You’re engaged?!” But apparently George wasn’t paying attention. He was calling for Belle to stop. Suddenly, she felt him grab her arm. He spun her around and she faced him again. She gasped. “Don’t you dare touch me, you jerk!” she yanked her arm free and kicked him in the shin. George moaned and grabbed his leg. Belle took that as her opportunity to run. And run she did, all the way to the table. “We need to go. Now.” She said breathlessly, trying her best not to let the tears fall. Mr. Gold and Bea looked at her astonished. “Please.” She practically begged. 

Gold nodded and prodded his son with his cane. “Let’s go Bea. I can fix you a sandwich when we get home.” Bea simply stood and followed his father and Belle out the door.   
The drive back to the castle seemed to take much longer than the one to the restaurant had, and Belle couldn’t bear the looks her employer and his son were giving her. They were wondering what had happened, and she knew it. But she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t tell them what had happened or else the tears would come, and she simply could not allow that. She had to stay strong till she had gotten home.

Once they had gotten home, she waited till they were inside until she ran to her room, leaving Bea and Mr. Gold in the entryway. She didn’t want to see anyone right then, especially Mr. Gold. She probably looked quite the mess, and in that state…no, she wouldn’t let anyone see her like this. She simply slammed her door, rushed toward her bed, threw herself on it, and cried into the pillow like a little child. She hadn’t cried that hard since the day of her mother’s funeral, and it was as if years of pent up tears were all flowing out at once. 

“Oh, Momma, Momma. I wish you were here right now. I need you so badly. You would know what to do. You would know how to deal with this. You would take care of me. And now I don’t even have Daddy. I’m all alone here in the middle of Scotland with no one to take care of me and tell me everything is going to be alright.” She sobbed into her now drenched pillow.

There was a knock on her door. “Belle? May I come in?” It was Bea. Of course it was. She could only imagine what had gone on in the two men’s head as she, in great distress, flew through their house like a tornado.

“Yes.” She cried out in a shaky voice. The door cracked open and Bea peeked inside. He turned pale at the sight of her and quickly walked to the edge of her bed.   
“Belle? What’s wrong? What happened? Da sent me to check on you and see what was wrong. He said he would be up in a moment with some tea for ye. He seemed frustrated, or angry, or both. I don’t know. His eyes seemed concerned. What happened, Belle? Please tell me!” Bea said all at once in a huge rush of breath. 

Belle hiccoughed as she wiped her eyes with end of her sweatshirt’s sleeve. “I’m alright, Bea. It’s just… well, I’m engaged… WAS engaged. My fiancé had come to Europe to work on his photography business. On my way back from the ladies room, I saw him kissing another woman. So I punched him and told him we were done, that I was calling off the wedding. I threw my ring at him. He tried to catch me, but I kicked him in the shin and then ran like the very devil was on my heels back to the table.” Belle hiccoughed again as she finished her short narrative. 

Bea looked slightly angry, and was mumbling under his breath. Belle caught the words, “bloody jerk,” and “sock him one.” Just then, Mr. Gold entered the room with a tea tray. Immediately the tension in the room was enhanced ten times more than what it had been when it had just been Belle and Bea conversing. Gold paused slightly, then set the tray down on the nearest table and looked at Belle. “How do you take your tea?” he asked. It was a simple question, and it lowered the tension a little.

“Two sugars and a dash of cream.” Belle replied. He prepared the tea and then handed the cup to Belle. But Belle’s hands were shaking too much and she accidentally dropped the cup, spilling tea everywhere. She blushed a deep red and gasped. She bent down to pick up the cup and her voice trembled as she spoke “Oh no. It’s chipped.” She was afraid to look at Mr. Gold. She knew he would be furious with her. But she looked into his eyes anyway. She was surprised that anger was not visible in them. She saw something, but was unsure of what it was exactly. Bea retreated into the bathroom to grab some things to clean up the spilled tea.

Gold gently took the cup from her and replied, “It’s just a cup,” as he began to remake her tea for her. As soon as Bea had finished cleaning the floor, and Gold had handed another cup back to Belle, the father insisted that his son leave the room in order to give Belle some peace. 

Belle took a deep breath and sipped her tea. She wanted to cry. She wanted to pour out all the hurt inside her into the pillow. But right now, she needed tea.

~~~~

Once they were outside Belle’s room, Robert practically dragged Bea to the sitting room. “Bea, what on earth happened?” he asked.

Bea looked down at his hands. “Belle caught her fiancé kissing another girl, and she called off the wedding.”

“Her fiancé is here? In Scotland?”

“I guess so.”

“Well, that’s…that’s… hard. Be careful around her the next few days, maybe even weeks, Bea. She will most likely be very emotional. Don’t mention her fiancé at all, ok? Avoid that topic at all costs.”

“Yes, Pa-pa.”

“Go up to your room and study.”

Bea left the room in silence. Belle had been engaged. She had had a life before he uprooted her from her home and dragged her to Scotland. He didn’t know why the thought hadn’t occurred to him before. Maybe he should take care to understand the new caretaker more if she were going to be staying here for an extended period of time.

Suddenly he heard a knock on the front doors of the Castle. Ok, it was more like a fierce pounding. Gold slowly limped to the door as the pounding went on. He opened the door with a sneer. “I heard ye the first time, dearie. No need to give the household a headache.” He growled. Before him was a rather tall, rather muscular man with a haggard expression on his face. He towered over Robert, but Robert wasn’t cowed, he was the one with the power in this situation.

“My name is George Gaston. I’m here to speak to my fiancée, Belle French…” 

The man got no further. Gold jabbed him in the chest with the golden handle of his cane. “Ah, so you’re the man who was sucking some woman’s face in front of Miss French, your FORMER fiancée. She made it quite clear that she wants nothing to do with you, Mr. Gaston. So I suggest you leave.”

“No, just let me see her. Let me explain…”

Robert whacked his cane against George until the younger man was lying on his back with a bloody, possibly broken nose, and more than likely a few bruised ribs. “There is nothing to explain, dearie. Now, get off my property before I contact the police, or use my cane again. I’m sure you want neither.”

George glared back at Robert as he slowly, painfully got back to his feet, holding his side as he did so. “I will have Belle as my wife. Make no mistake about that!” he spat before he turned on his heel and stalked off slowly.

Robert all but slammed the door in his rage. The NERVE of that guy. How could he possibly ever imagine that he had the right to show up on his property, come to HIS HOME and demand to speak to Belle? After all he had done, after cheating on her, he thought he could get Belle to go back to him? HA! Fat chance. That man was clueless. If he didn’t know Belle wasn’t going to take him back, than he didn’t know Belle, didn’t know women in general. And heck. He didn’t even deserve a second chance any way.

He stalked back to the sitting room and poured himself a Whiskey. This was far too much excitement for one day. What was he thinking when he hired that Belle French?

All of a sudden he heard bagpipes playing. They were droning out the tune of “Loch Lomond.” There could only be one person who would play the bagpipes at that moment in time. Beathan. 

Robert followed the sound to the landing of the second floor. There, a little way down the hall stood Bea, in his kilt and full Scottish Bagpipe playing regalia. He was standing outside of Belle’s room playing Loch Lomond. Maybe Bea thought it would help her. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.

Robert limped back to his own room, quickly grabbed his bagpipes out of the walk-in closet and walked back to where Bea was. He leaned his cane against the wall and said softly to Bea, “May I join you?” Bea nodded, and as Robert put the mouthpiece up to his lips, the tune started again. 

When they quietly ended the song, the door opened. Belle was standing there, with mascara running down her cheeks, her hair a mess, and her clothes all rumpled. She gave them a sad smile. Robert silently thought that with all that, she was still a very pretty woman. Wait what? No she wasn’t. That was nonsense. He should just stop thinking now.  
She wrapped Bea in a hug and he heard a muffled “thank you”, and Bea’s whispered “you’re welcome.” But before he knew what had happened, he had an armful of Belle and bagpipes and he was thrown a little of balance without his cane. He was too shocked to return her hug, and he barely had the presence of mind to reply to her “thank you.” And then her door was closing, and she was gone. Robert looked at Bea, and Bea looked at Robert.

“Maybe we should play these together more, Da.” Bea said.  
Robert smiled. “Aye, perhaps we should, son. Perhaps we should.”

“Next time will you wear the bagpipe regalia?” Bea asked. 

Robert grimaced. “I don’t think so, Bea. The kilt shows how scarred my knee is from the accident…”

Bea nodded. “I understand.” was all he said before he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep the kudos and the hits coming! Let me know what you think! You people are my inspiration!!!!!!  
> Also, go check out a series i am also working on of Rumbelle called "Just A Dream."


	5. The Wee Birdies Sing and the Wild Flowers Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle spends some more time near Loch Lomond and makes an unlikely friend while there

The Autumn leaves were beginning to fall. Bae was busy during the day at school, and Mr. Gold actually spent some weeks in America. No wonder he had hired her to be with Bae. The boy must have gotten so lonesome before she came to live with them. And if Belle was completely honest with herself, being with Bae kept her from thinking about George too much. He was a welcome distraction. She also knew that Mr. Gold would email his son and occasionally ask how she was faring with the entire break-up. Bae didn’t know she knew that. She had been returning some of his things to his bedroom while his computer was open to his email and she had seen the email from her employer. She thought it very kind of Mr. Gold to ask after her.

When Bae was at school, Belle would often lose herself in some of the books that she had brought with her from her home in Maine. One day, around midmorning, Belle felt that she wanted to get some fresh air. So, she went into the kitchens to tell Mrs. Potts where she would be. 

“Mrs. Potts!?”

“Yes, dear?” the older woman cooed from somewhere near the stove. At least that was where Belle thought her voice was coming from.

“I just want to let you know that I will be going for a walk. I may stay near Loch Lomond and pick some flowers for the dining room if the flowers are still in bloom around the water.”

“Alright, lassy. Just be sure to be home by the time Bae is home. Ye know how much he enjoys having ye around to help him with his homework.”

“I will be. Goodbye, Mrs. Potts!”

With that, Belle was out of the kitchen and walking toward the front door, and simultaneously putting on a jacket because the weather was progressively getting colder. She was happy that she had this opportunity to go out and enjoy the Scottish countryside. Mr. Gold would be back any day now, and she had a feeling that any expedition she would have planned to set foot off the grounds would be frowned upon if he were there.

 

When she walked out the door she took a deep breath. She didn’t know what it was, but Scotland smelled differently than the States. It wasn’t a bad thing, not at all. It smelled greener, more full of life. She smiled at the sensation that greeted her nose as she began walking toward the Loch. She knew she was going to enjoy all of her stay in Scotland.

She had brought one of her favorite books along to read while she sat along the shore. “Sense and Sensibility” was a true classic, but then again, all Jane Austen works were classic, especially “Pride and Prejudice.” Belle rather liked that one as well as the one she had currently brought with her. The characters were so complex and had such interesting backgrounds. Their individual pasts all led up to the way each person was in the story. For example, Mr. Darcy was the way he was… prideful and arrogant, because of his past, especially concerning his past with Mr. Wickham. It just proved that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, that a person’s character and personality could be shaped by events that had transpired in their past. 

Her thoughts on this subject occupied her until she had finally gotten to the peaceful lake. She sat against a tree near the location she and bae had had their picnic weeks before. She was soon engrossed in the story of the Dashwood sisters and their love lives with Edward Ferrars, Mr. Willoughby, and poor Colonel Brandon. Belle had always felt badly for Colonel Brandon at the beginning of the story. He and his feelings get tossed aside by Marianne just because he views things from a different point of view than she. Besides the fact he was much older than her. Willoughby may have been more her age, but he was much too immature for Belle’s liking. Brandon was much more wise and rational. Belle liked that about him. Willoughby and Wickham reminded her of George nowadays. And Darcy and Brandon reminded her of Mr. Go… she wasn’t sure who they reminded her of, but she preferred them much more than the other male characters.

Suddenly, Belle heard the sound of a flute. She wondered how long the music had been playing. It had only come to her attention right then. She looked at her watch. It was already one in the afternoon. Bae would be home from school in about an hour and a half to two hours from now. So maybe she could explore this flute playing enigma. For a moment, she thought to herself “Maybe it is Mr. Gold. Perhaps he is back already. He can play the bagpipes, who is to say that he can’t play the flute as well?” And so, thinking that Mr. Gold was playing a flute near Loch Lomond, and totally unaware that she or anybody else was present to hear him, she followed the sound.

She peeked out from behind a tree and into a clearing full of the last blossoms of summer. The lake could still be seen through the trees, and the birds were twittering noisily overhead. They would be flying South any day now, Belle knew that for sure.

Instead of seeing Mr. Gold in the clearing, she saw a much younger man in jeans and a red and blue flannel long sleeved shirt. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and looked to be very athletically built. A small, white, Scottish terrier was lying by his feet, obviously enjoying the song that his master was playing. 

The song was beautiful, but Belle wasn’t sure how much she should trust the young man. She was especially wary of them now after what had happened with George. She wasn’t sure she could trust them. Sure, she knew that all men were like George, but still… it was better to be safe than sorry. 

She was about to turn around and return to reading her book when the music suddenly stopped. 

“Ya might as well stay awhile and not snoop since I could see ye there since you came up.” A warm and deep, yet boyish voice greeted her ears. She looked back over her shoulders and saw the young man staring at her and smiling. “Don’ ye worry, I don’ bite, and neither does wee McDuff here.” He said to her.

She smiled at him, and walked out into the clearing, but still wasn’t sure about trusting him. It was a good thing she had pepper spray in her bag. 

“Me name is Sean McGregor, Miss. May I ask what the lovely lass’ name is?” 

Belle giggled. “My name is Belle French. It is nice to meet you, Mr. McGregor.”

“Aye, its is most certainly all my pleasure, Miss French. But you must call me Sean. I am not so fancy as to call meself Mr. McGregor. That is me father, old man farmer that he is.”

“So you are a farmer, then?”

“Aye, me Da gives me half a day each week for me to go and enjoy meself. It is my favorite part of the week. After he dies, Lor’ knows I won’t have the chance to do so anymore. But you, lassy, are not from Scotland. You are from Australia or the like, if I am not mistaken. Why are ye here in Scotland?”

“Oh, I work here. I am originally from Australia, but I moved to America when I was only around twelve.”

“Who do ye work for?”

“Mr. Gold. I am the caretaker for his son.”

“You work for Gold!? Oye, you poor lass. That man is a monster. Most of the people who own land around here are in debt to him or he is their landlord. The man is ruthless. How on earth do ya keep the smile on your face?”

Belle wasn’t sure how to take this news. She didn’t see how Gold was a MONSTER. He was just grumpy most of the time. Images of him making her tea and playing bagpipes outside her door popped into her mind as she considered what Sean had said. Certainly a monster wouldn’t play bagpipes to cheer up a young girl in distress would they? Still, Sean had lived here longer than she and knew Mr. Gold better. But who should she trust, Sean or Mr. Gold and his actions. She was utterly baffled and didn’t know what to think.

“Well, Mr. Gold has been in America the past couple of weeks, so I haven’t seen him too much, but I spend a great deal of time with his son, Baethan. He is a very amiable boy. I like spending time with him. “she finally replied.

She stood and began picking flowers. She had planned on doing so all along but her book was too engrossing. If she didn’t pick any, Mrs. Potts would be disappointed. Although she never really stated it, Belle could tell that the old woman loved flowers just as much as Belle. The blooms were quite beautiful, and she was sure she hadn’t seen some of them in either America or Australia. The birds continued to tweet above their heads. McDuff was sniffing around Belle’s feet, obviously trying to figure out if she was nice or not. Belle patted his head in between picking up different blooms. 

“What are ye picking flowers for, Belle?” Sean asked her.

“I’m picking them for the dining room and sitting room in Caislean a’ Or. I’ve found that flowers tend to brighten a place up quite a bit.”

“Aye, I’m sure Gold will really enjoy the sight of wild flowers cluttering up ‘is home. Good luck with that one, Miss.”

Belle smiled. “I have every confidence in the fact that he will not turn me into a snail and squash me.”

Sean let out a hearty laugh at her joke and smiled widely at her. He was about to say something in reply but Belle cut in before he could. “Really Mr. McGregor, it has been very enjoyable, but I am afraid I have to get back to the Castle before Baethan gets back from school. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.” Belle ventured on her way, yet suddenly stopped and smiling, turned her head and shyly said, “Your music was beautiful, Sean, thank you for it!”

She again turned to leave, but Sean called out her name before she could exit the clearing. “Wait, lassy. Lemme give ye my cell phone number, aye? I would like to see you again sometime.”

Belle blushed, but nodded. “Certainly, Sean.” She took out her phone and added his name and number to her contacts. While she was busy, Sean had stooped to pick a blue flower. When she looked back up at him, he gently placed the flower behind her ear and smiled at her. “The flower matches the color of your eyes.”  
Belle blushed. “Thank you, Sean. I will send you a text as soon as I can to give you my number. Goodbye!” and then she was gone.

Belle hurried away from the clearing and toward the road. She dearly loved Loch Lomond, and tried to go there every chance she could. She had heard that the lake looked beautiful during the winter. She couldn’t wait to see if that were true.

Her mind strayed to Sean McGregor while she walked along the road toward Caislean a’ Or (and really, she needed to ask Bae if there was a spare bicycle for her to use so her trips to the lake would be easier). He seemed like a nice enough young man. He obviously didn’t like Mr. Gold, but was that very important? It seemed that not many people liked Mr. Gold. She thought back to what Sean had said about her employer. He had called him a monster. Surely not everyone around here could think that? She had never heard Mrs. Potts call him a monster. But then again, Mrs. Potts liked to stand up to Mr. Gold and called him “laddy” as if he were just a teenage boy. Belle giggled at that. She got along well with Mrs. Potts and she liked how the older woman wouldn’t let Gold push her around. She knew that Mr. Gold admired Mrs. Potts for that as well. 

But a monster? That was certainly not a word that she would associate with him. Yes, he could be in a sour mood most of the time, but that didn’t really constitute him being a MONSTER, of all things. What a silly notion…

Belle arrived back at the Castle and went immediately to the kitchen. “Mrs. Potts?” she called. “I need some vases! Where on earth does Mr. Gold keep them?”

“Well ‘e certainly doesn’t keep them anywhere. I keep them in the pantry. There should be at least five. How many do ye need, lassy?” Mrs. Potts asked.

“I think two will do nicely, thanks.” Belle replied. Half a minute later Mrs. Potts was back with two beautifully carved clay vases and handed them to Belle.

“Here ye are. I hope he doesn’t have your head when he sees them. Dove called a short while ago. It seems Mr. Gold will be arriving this evening sometime.”

Belle laughed as she filled the vases with water and the wild flowers. “I’m sure he won’t. But that is wonderful! I am sure Bae will be excited to see him again. See you later, Mrs. Potts!” she said as she left the kitchen.

Her first stop was the Dining Room. She placed the flowers right in the middle and then stepped back. Yes, that looked just right. Now for the Sitting Room. She quickly walked into the new room and looked around for a place that would be just right for the flowers she had picked. Finally, she decided that right in the center of the elaborately carved coffee table would be the perfect spot. 

At that moment, she heard the front door open and shut, and a familiar, boyish voice call out, “Belle?”

She smiled and walked out into the foyer. “Hi, Bae!” she greeted the boy warmly.


	6. Come Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold and Belle find out about some interesting talents they both have. Bae starts scheming, and Gold decides to take Bae and Belle to Glasgow for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Crazy busy life! I don't own anything!

Belle was busy helping Bae with his homework when Mr. Gold arrived home that evening. They had already eaten dinner and were almost finished with the rest of Bae’s Math problems.  They had not heard him come in the door. He watched them curiously as he stood in the doorway of the living room. They were sitting in front of the coffee table, with books and papers spread out in front of them. Bae was writing something and Belle was looking over his arm.

 “Yeah, that’s exactly right! Just keep in mind that a negative times a negative is always a positive.” She was saying. Bae nodded distractedly. The scene was really quite precious, as much as Gold hated to admit it, Belle made their home life more---homey. Bae and he had been fine before she came, or at least that is what he liked to tell himself, but Belle did bring a certain charm to Caislean a’ Or, as much as he disliked that particular admission.

               

“Hello.” Was all he said, but it startled both Belle and Bae out of the homework daze, and they quickly looked up at him. They both smiled. Bae bounced up and went over to him. They hugged and Bae whispered “It’s good to have you home, Papa!”

               

Belle was still standing where she was. “How are you, Miss French?” he asked her. It had only been a few weeks since she had broken off her engagement to George Gaston. He had been wondering how she had been getting along, acknowledging that the circumstances must have pained her to extremities. He had asked in his emails to his young son, but Bae was just a 14 year old boy, and as perceptive as his boy could be, his emails were usually terribly vague and left his father asking more questions at the end then he had had at the beginning.

               

A faint pink rose to the young woman’s cheeks, but she responded with, “I’m well, thank you. How was your trip?”

               

“It went well. Really quite tiring. Much of the same old same old. Very few new developments. I think I’ll just go unpack and get ready for bed and leave you two to finish up with Bae’s homework.”

               

Was that a frown on Miss French’s face? Robert couldn’t tell. Certainly it was just his imagination. There was no possible way that she could be disappointed that he wasn’t joining them in the living area while they worked on Bae’s homework. Besides, he had had a long trip and he wanted to rest.

               

“Alright, Papa. I hope to talk to you more tomorrow, is that ok?” Bae asked. Robert couldn’t help but smile. His boy wanted to spend time with him.  “Of course, Bae. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, alright?”

               

Bae grinned back at him, and nodded. Robert looked over at Belle. “Goodnight, Miss French.” Belle gave him a small smile. “Goodnight, Mr. Gold.”

               

He went up to his small bedroom and began to unpack. Bae wanted to talk with him tomorrow. It wasn’t unusual for his boy to crave some fatherly attention, but it sure made him feel wonderful. He wanted to spend time with him?! Well, why not make the day extra special then? Why not take Bae to Glasgow to see the sights? Bae had obviously been there before, but he hadn’t gotten to explore the town in a more in depth way. He was mainly there for such things as errands, church, the usual. There were plenty more wonders that Glasgow was waiting to show his boy. Yes, that is what he would do.

               

Now the only thing he had left to do was to decide who to take to a business associate’s, Regina Mills’, pesky Winter Ball that he was required to attend. Though no escort was required, it would be highly awkward for the president of Gold Industries to show up alone. Mr. Gold conceded that he would only bring one to save his pride.

~~~~

Bae grinned knowingly at Belle as they watched Mr. Gold walk out of the room. She turned slowly back to the table. “How about we finish this up, huh?”         

“You have a crush on my Da.” Was all he said, but a blush immediately crept up to her cheeks.

“What?! No, Bae, that is an absolutely ridiculous idea. I hardly know you’re father.”

“Suit yourself…”

They settled back down by the table and Belle tried to concentrate on the Algebra problems that Bae had to finish, but her mind was miles away. What had gotten into Bae. Why in the world would he think that she had a crush on his father? She barely knew Mr. Gold, and she had just broken off her engagement with George. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to be in a new relationship, least of all with her employer!

“Belle?” Bae’s voice shook her out of the daze she was in.

“Yes, Bae?”

“Well, ya see. The academy is holding a dance next month. I wanted to ask Emma, but I don’t know how to dance. Do you think you could teach me?”

Belle smiled. “Of course, Bae! It’s a lucky thing that I just happen to be the best ballroom dancer in the whole of the United States.”

Bae chuckled. “Sure you are.”

Belle grabbed her phone and went to her Youtube app. “Hmm lets see. I think we better start off with the Swing. That is the easiest to learn. OH! YES! This is the perfect song to learn it to.” She clicked a few more things on her phone, then set it down on the arm of the couch and stuck out her hand to Bae.

Frank Sinatra’s “Come Dance With Me” filled the room as Belle taught Bae the upbeat three step dance. She kept replaying the song as they practiced. Soon enough, she thought Bae was proficient enough in the dance and some of the moves. “How about I put it on my Pandora swing station and see how you do then?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Bae eagerly replied.

 ~~~~

Mr. Gold had just finished putting away the rest of the things from his luggage when he heard it again. The first time, he had been certain that it was just his imagination. But it was undeniable now that he was not imagining it. He could faintly hear music playing. For some odd reason it sounded like Frank Sinatra. This needed to be investigated.

Gold found himself leaving his bedroom and following the sound of the music to find its source. Eventually, he stood in the living room doorway once more. What he saw astounded him. Belle and Bae were dancing. Not just any dance, no, they were SWING dancing. The song was no longer Frank Sinatra, and what Gold had identified as the song “Come Dance with me.” Now it seemed to be the Glenn Miller song “In the Mood.” One of his favorites, he thought. He loved Big Band music, which was something no one knew at all, except Bae. He particularly liked Glenn Miller’s style. It always made him want to get up and do something, even if that meant dancing.

Bae was doing marvelously and was keeping up with Miss French quite well. He even threw in twirls and the like. Gold had to admit that he was impressed. The smiles on their faces were huge, and it was obvious they were having the time of their lives.

~~~~

“In the Mood” had just finished and Bae was laughing so hard he was crying. “Who knew this could be so much fun! We need to do this more often.”

“Yes, I think you should.”

Belle and Bae both turned abruptly to see Mr. Gold leaning on the doorframe watching them. There was a twinkle in his eye, but he looked quite serious. Belle paused the music on her phone and looked between Bae and Mr. Gold, unsure of what she should say.

“Belle was just teaching me how to Ballroom dance, Da.” Bae said sheepishly.

“Yes, I gathered that, Bae. I was unaware that Miss French had such proficiency for Swing or Ballroom dancing, or that she had such excellent taste in music.”

Belle looked down at her feet. She could tell she was blushing, but she hoped beyond hope that Mr. Gold couldn’t see it.

“She says that she is the best ballroom dancer in the States.” Bae put forth again.

“Did she now? I guess we’ll just have to see about that, now won’t we, dearie?” Mr. Gold replied as he walked forward. He stopped in front of Belle. She looked up. He was holding out his hand to her. “Come, Dance with me.” Mr. Gold requested, using the exact words that Sinatra had just been singing. She placed her hand in his as she handed her phone over to Bae. The little cretin was smirking.

They both got into position as Bae pressed play. Belle inwardly groaned. Oh not this song. Why in the world did her favorite song have to play at this exact moment? It was another Glenn Miller tune, and why shouldn’t it be? He was her favorite big band leader, after all. The strains of “Moonlight Serenade” filled the room, and all of a sudden, Mr. Gold and she were gliding through the room in a foxtrot. She had had no idea that he could dance so well, despite the fact that he limped. His every movement was grace-filled and Belle was left utterly shocked.

“You dance very well, Miss French. You are very, oh what is the expression? Light on your feet.”

Belle knew there must be a permanent blush on her cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. Gold. You dance well, also.”

He smiled at her, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. All of a sudden he was looking past her shoulder, and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Even in deep concentration, he led her effortlessly around the room. When Belle was able to catch a glimpse of Bae, she saw that he was grinning like a fool. Oh that impertinent child. There was no way he didn’t know his father could dance. He knew, of course he did. So why had he asked her to help him? Was he afraid his father wouldn’t help him? OR was it a part of some sort of plan he had?

Finally, the dance ended and Bae paused the station again for Belle and handed the phone back to her. Her shoes suddenly became very fascinating. “Miss French, it seems you have just solved a problem for me.” Mr. Gold was saying.

Belle looked up quickly. “Oh?”

“Yes, it seems that my presence is required at an Annual Winter Ball that one of my business associates hosts. I was told I did not have to bring a guest, but I feel that as the President of GI, I should. Would you like to accompany me?”

“Well, sir, that sounds lovely, but I’m afraid I don’t have the proper dress for a ball!”

“That is no matter. I can arrange to have one picked up for you.”

“Oh. Well, then, I guess, yes, I would love to.”

“Wonderful. Have a good rest of the night.” He said, and suddenly, he was gone, and the minute he was, Bae let out a laugh he had obviously been holding in. “And you say you don’t have a crush on Da! Ha! That’s rubbish.”

“Well, I don’t, that’s a foolish idea to get stuck in your head, Baethan.”

“Right, well, I’m tired, Belle. Perhaps we could continue this thrilling conversation some other time?”

“How about never?”

Bae just laughed and went off to his room. Belle gathered up his papers and books and left them on the table for him to get later.

~~~~

Bae walked up to his father’s room. He had a plan. He liked Belle. She was a wonderful person. She was no Emma, mind you, but she certainly made Papa smile. He was determined to see him smile more. He also saw the way Belle blushed when his Da was around. He knew she was beginning to have a crush on his father, even if she refused to admit it. Now he just needed to bring them together somehow…

When he was outside the door, he knocked loudly twice. The door flew open and his father immediately smiled at him. He could see the remnants of suits on the bed from his father’s ventures in unpacking. “Hey, Bae. I actually wanted to talk with you. You said that you wanted to talk with me tomorrow? How about we make a day of it tomorrow, and we go into Glasgow to enjoy the sights there?”

Bae grinned. “That sounds great, Da! I’d really like that. Is it ok if we bring Belle along with us?”

Mr. Gold stiffened. “If Miss French wishes to accompany us tomorrow she may.”

“Thanks, Da! I’m going to bed now. Sleep well!”

“Sleep well, son.”


	7. Beauty and the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle, Mr. Gold, and Baethan visit Glasgow, Belle receives a marvelous gift, Gold makes brunch and valiantly attempts to bake a cake. Bae schemes with Mrs. Potts, dinner happens, Belle falls off a ladder, discovers Bae's scheme, and wonders what on Earth is happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is SUPER long. I hope you all enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing it. Leave me a few comments! I don't own anything!

Belle woke up early the next morning. She stretched and then grabbed the book on her nightstand. She had a few minutes to read before she would have to get ready and go down to breakfast. Besides, it was “Sense and Sensibility” and Marianne had just received Willoughby’s letter telling her he never loved her. There was no way she could not read just a little bit more.

               

She could sympathize with Marianne, just a little. Granted, Marianne was a bit dramatic, but Belle knew what she must have been feeling. She felt the same when George betrayed her. He had torn her heart to bits that night. She was devastated. She was still getting over it really. She was touched by Mr. Gold’s and Bae’s thoughtfulness by playing their bagpipes for her that night. And no matter WHAT Baethan thought, she did NOT have a crush on Mr. Gold.

               

At any rate, after George, and all the betrayal that she felt at his deception, she wasn’t sure she could be loved, truly loved, by any man, whoever they may be. She was different from other girls her age. She loved to read, and she could lose herself in Movies and Music from the 1920s-1960s if she let herself. No one, well, at least not many, her age liked these things, she knew, but could she help that she was different than others?

               

When she was a young girl and she would misbehave, her father would punish her by banning her from reading for a few days. It was torture… the worst possible punishment her Dad could have cleverly invented. And then there was her Grandma.  Her Grandma Gagnier had lived with her family for a short while before her mother’s death.  Shortly after her Mother had died, Grandma had passed as well. But before that, Grandma had infused Belle with a love of all music and cinema from her time period. They would watch Bob Hope movies for hours on end, and Belle would sing Sinatra songs to her Grandma, who was never endingly amused by her grandchild’s inherited passion, while she looked on. After Grandma had died, Belle had continued on with the old fashioned entertainment to help her through the pain of the death of two of the closest people to her. It made her feel as if maybe, just maybe, her Mother and Grandma weren’t far after all. These things soothed her, and she was grateful her Grandma had thought to show her such gems of the entertainment world.

               

Belle finally dragged herself out of bed and went to her adjoining bathroom to brush her teeth. While doing so, she put on her Glenn Miller Pandora station. She liked getting ready to music. It made the rest of the day so much better. While she brushed her hair, picked out her outfit, did her make up and put small sapphire studs into her ears, she let the Big Band music float around her. Her thoughts wandered to her Grandmother and how much she missed her. Would she be proud of her granddaughter?

               

Finally, she made her way to the Dining Room. She knew she was five minutes early, so she wondered if Bae or Mr. Gold would be there yet. When she entered the room, neither had arrived yet, so she took her seat. Bae arrived a moment later, and his father just after. Breakfast was a much less solemn affair than dinner. The trio merely said their good mornings and began to eat what was set in front of them. Half way into the meal, Bae spoke up. “Papa said he’d like to take us to see Glasgow today. We’d be honored if you’d come with us, Belle. After all, you have yet to see very much beyond what is around Caislean a’ Or and Loch Lomond, and I’m sure you’d love to see Glasgow, especially the Library there. It is huge! Please come.”

               

Belle smiled at the boys eagerness. “I’d like that a lot, Bae. Thank you both for inviting me to come.” Bae beamed. Mr. Gold only nodded.

               

“You’re welcome. We leave as soon as you’re ready after breakfast so don’t be long.”

               

“Bae!” Mr. Gold scolded.

               

“What?”

               

Mr. Gold sighed. “You never tell someone to hurry, especially a lady. It isn’t proper.”

               

“Oh. I’m sorry, Belle.”

               

“It’s okay, I forgive you.”

 

~~~~

               

Robert fidgeted with his cane as he waited for Bae and Miss French in the foyer. He hadn’t planned on bringing her with them today, but Bae had insisted, and well, he really couldn’t refuse his son very much. Besides, it might be pleasant to have her accompany them today, maybe.  It was good for Bae to like spending time with her. He would be leaving much too soon again for the States and he wanted to be sure that Bae was entertained while he was away. Fortunately, after last night, he was pretty sure that Miss French would keep his boy busy.

               

At that moment, Bae came bounding down the stairs. Miss French was right behind him. “We’re ready Da!” he exclaimed. Mr. Gold smiled. His son was always so exuberant.

               

“Well then, let’s be off, shall we?” he said as he opened the front door for the pair. Bae ran out and down the steps. Belle offered him a sheepish smile and then followed after his son. It was going to be an interesting day indeed. Miss French had never seen Glasgow outside of the airport there.  He knew Bae would be pulling her along wanting to show her everything. He was especially excited to witness Belle’s reaction at the sight of the Glaswegian Library. Bae had mentioned earlier that he particularly wanted to show her that building. Ah, perhaps his son’s caretaker was a reader. He hoped she was. He himself loved to read a good book every now and again, and he encouraged his son to read a great deal as well. After all, Caislean a’ Or had an extensive library, and they liked to make use of it. Perhaps he should show it to Miss French sometime.

 

~~~~

               

Bae was stubborn. He was determined to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was for his father and Belle to be happy. He felt deep within that they would be truly happy if they were together. Seeing as both were too oblivious to see this fact for themselves, he was bound and determined to MAKE them see it.

                 

Bae slyly got into the car first, forcing Belle into sitting next to his father once he had joined them. Mr. Gold hesitated only a second when he saw who he would be sitting beside in the car, but he climbed in next to her all the same and pulled his seatbelt on.

               

“Da! Can we stop at the library first? Belle loves to read and I really want to show her it! It will be great!”

               

Mr. Gold smiled. “Dove, you heard m’boy. Take us to the library first, please.”

               

Dove smirked at Bae through the rearview mirror. “Yes, of course, sir.” He replied. Bae silently applauded himself. He had gathered Dove and Mrs. Potts into the kitchen last night to tell them of his plans. They promised to help this vagabond as well. “The rascal actually did have a brilliant mind.” They thought. They were willing to participate in anything that would make their lovely new friend and rough master be together.

               

Soon enough, Dove was pulling up just outside the Library in Glasgow. Belle looked out the window in awe, and his father was faintly smiling at her. Bae grinned. Yes, his plan was certainly working.

 

 ~~~~

 

Belle could hardly believe it when they stepped through the entrance of the library. There were books _everywhere_. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Soon, she had forgotten about Mr. Gold and Baethan. She was so caught up in exploring every bit of this place before she would have to leave it.

 

She easily found the Shakespearean plays and searched out her favorite one. Ah, there it was: “Much Ado About Nothing.” She grabbed it off the shelf and found a sofa to sit on. She buried herself into the cushions and began reading the love story of Beatrice and Benedic. This…this she could do all day and wouldn’t be bothered by it at all. She could die happily in this library.

 

But it seemed that fate had it in for her as the cushions dipped next to her and she was forced to look up. Ah. It was Mr. Gold of course, coming to tear away her happiness…

 

“I’m sorry to disturb ya, dearie, but I think we should be going if ye and Bae want to see anymore of Glasgow before nightfall.”

 

Oh. Right. This day was about Bae, not about her getting entirely lost in the library. “Oh, yes, of course. I’m so sorry. I totally forgot!” She looked up to see Bae standing a few feet away from her, grinning like a fool. That boy was up to something.

 

Mr. Gold stood and offered her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up off the couch. He quickly let her out of his grip and she went to place the book on the cart for the library staff to put back later. Her hand was tingling. She didn’t know why. Maybe it had fallen asleep, but she was sure it hadn’t felt this way a moment ago.

 

She joined her employer and his son and they walked out of the library. “Where to next?” she asked.

 

Mr. Gold looked between them. I thought ya might like to see the Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum next.”

 

“Oh that’d be wonderful!”

 

“Yeah, Da, take us there.”

 

After seeing their great enthusiasm upon his suggestion, Gold took them to the museum. Belle was as entranced there as she had at the library. Before she knew it, it was already mid-late afternoon and Mr. Gold was suggesting a walk around the town to finish up their tour before he called Dove to pick them up.

 

As they walked, Belle obtained a wonderful view of the city and she was awed. The whole place was beautiful. She couldn’t believe it. The States had nothing like this. She wished it did. She would miss this place when she had to go back home. That thought saddened her. She didn’t want to go home. Not just yet. She enjoyed Scotland. The countryside, Loch Lomond, Caislean a’ Or itself, everything was so magnificent, and she wanted to stay as long as she could. She had to admit that the company she kept wasn’t bad either, and she really enjoyed spending time with Bae. He was quickly becoming like a son to her. After she left, she hoped that he would keep in contact with her.

 

As they all stood on the banks of the River Clyde, Mr. Gold called Dove to pick them up. The sun was setting and it was really quite pretty. Belle sighed in content.

 

“Something wrong, dearie?” Mr. Gold asked her.

 

“Oh! No, not at all. This is all so beautiful. The sight of it makes me happy.”

 

Bae was smirking at her. She really needed to figure out what was going on inside that boys head.

 

~~~~

 

Gold wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to do something for this woman. He wanted to give her something, anything, but he wasn’t sure just what that something was. There were the usual things, chocolates, flowers, but those were utterly boring and much too romantic to be giving to his son’s _caretaker_ , of all people. So he decided to ask his son what his ideas might be. He went to his study door once they get home. “Bae,” he called over his shoulder, “Can you join me in my study for a moment?” Belle looked at them both curiously for a moment, silently wondering what they were up to, before heading up the stairs to her room.

 

Robert sat behind his desk. Shortly, his son joined him and sat across from his father. “What is it, Da?”

 

“I would like to give Miss French a little gift to thank her for all her help with you, but I am not really sure what that should be. Do you have any suggestions?”

 

Bae practically beamed back at him. “Oh, I have the _perfect_ idea.”

 

~~~~

 

Belle decided that she really should write her father a hand-written letter. It was just so much more personal than an email, and she knew he would appreciate it. So after she had grabbed her stationary and a pen, she headed out onto the small balcony of the living room, and looked out over the grounds of Caislean a’ Or. It really was quite beautiful, and she decided she would describe the scene to her father.

 

_Dear Dad,_

_Hey!! How are you? I hope you are taking care of yourself. Don’t make me come back to Storybrooke to see if you are behaving yourself!_

_Scotland is absolutely wonderful. Right now, I’m sitting on the balcony off the living room that looks over the grounds. It is a bit chilly, but don’t worry, I have a sweatshirt on. The moon is full tonight. It lights up the gardens like you wouldn’t believe. There are some rose bushes that grow along the edge of the balcony. It’s a beautiful sight, Dad. I wish you could see it…_

 

“Writing to some friends back home?” Mr. Gold’s voice interrupted her thoughts as she was describing the night to her father.

 

She looked up, startled. “Oh, Mr. Gold! No, I was actually writing to my father.”

 

“Ah! I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”

 

He made to leave, but suddenly, Belle wanted to keep talking with him. “It’s alright! I was just describing to him how beautiful Caislean a’ Or is at night.”

 

Gold grinned proudly at that statement. “Aye, that it is.”

 

“He would like it here, my father. He’s from Australia. Well so am I, but that’s beside the point. He has only ever seen Australia and the United States. I think he would find all this green refreshing.”

 

“It is rather refreshing. But it isn’t the only wonder that dear Caislean has to offer.”

 

Belle looked up eagerly. “Really, like what?”

 

Gold merely chuckled and said, “Come, I’ll show ye” and then he was walking back into the living room. Belle clutched the notebook to her and followed him. He walked all the way past the doors to the kitchen and Dining Room. Belle could tell they were nearly to the back of the house when they reached a set of double doors. Gold turned back to her with a smile. “Close your eyes, dearie, it’s a surprise.”

 

Belle closed her eyes and heard Gold open the doors.  Suddenly, she felt his hand gingerly take hers and pulled her forward. “May I open them now?”

 

“Almost.” She heard fabric rustling and then Gold said, “Okay, open them.”

 

When she did, she saw him grinning by a huge bay window. And then she looked around and oh! It was the most amazing home library she had ever seen. “Do you like it?” he was asking her.

 

“Of course! It’s beautiful!”

 

“It’s yours.”

 

“What? Oh, Mr. Gold, I could never…”

 

“Please, consider it a gift for taking such good care of Bae while I am busy.”

 

Belle’s eyes shone with gratitude. She hoped Mr. Gold could tell how truly thankful she was for his gift. “This is rather perfect timing.”

 

“Whatever do you mean?”

 

Belle giggled. “Today is my birthday.”

 

“What?! Why didn’t you say so earlier? Bae would have loved to have known that. He is going to be disappointed.”

 

“I’m not really one to celebrate my birthday. It’s really just another day to me.”

 

“Well, I, for one, am grateful you were born on this day…”

 

“28 years ago.” Belle was blushing furiously and she hoped Mr. Gold hadn’t noticed.

 

But Mr. Gold _had_ noticed. It confused him and embarrassed him. Of course he was glad she was enjoying his gift. Maybe he was being too nice? He didn’t know what to think and it upset him. “Yes, well, I am going to head to bed now, Miss French. I’ll be home all day tomorrow, but I’m afraid that I’ll be leaving for the States again on Monday. I shouldn’t be there for very long this time, only a couple weeks. You’ll hardly notice I’m gone.”

 

Belle however wanted to say that she WOULD notice, oh yes. The man had just gifted her with his entire library, how could he possibly think that she wouldn’t miss his presence in the house? Silly man. But she didn’t say any of that, because, really, she didn’t want to scare him. So instead, she settled for, “Well, I hope the trip goes well for you and Gold Industries.”

 

Mr. Gold gave her a small smile and replied, “I am sure it will. Goodnight, Miss French.”

 

“Goodnight, Mr. Gold.” And then he was doing a funny little half bow, and exiting the room. Belle took another look around the room. There must be _thousands of books_ in this room. The ceilings were so high they literally reached the top of the spacious castle’s roof. There was a second story of shelves, and oh Belle could get LOST in this room and not even mind. She immediately knew that this was to be her new favorite room in the entire castle. She spied a ginormous fireplace to one side of the room with two high backed chairs and a small love seat arranged around it. Belle wandered over to the love seat and sat down. She decided to finish her letter to her father.

 

_Omigoodness, Dad. Mr. Gold just gave me his LIBRARY. I am in total shock. It is huge, and wonderful, and full of books. I tried to tell him I couldn’t possibly receive such a gift, but he wouldn’t accept a no. He said that after all my help with Bae, he WANTED to give me something. And the only gift he apparently thought would be good enough was an entire room stuffed to the brim with books. I think I might be hyperventilating actually._

_I can’t help but feel that this changes a lot. We were barely even friends, and then he just bends, unexpectedly. It’s just a little change really. Small, to say the least, and I’m a little scared. He is a wonderful person Dad. But I’m afraid. I think I like him, maybe just a little. But I don’t want to. After George broke my heart, how could I believe that anything else after him won’t end in heartbreak? Besides, to Mr. Gold I am nothing but his son’s caretaker, and I know that’s it._

_But that’s just it. I love Bae. He is a phenomenal boy, and now he is becoming like a son to me. But I don’t want to just be a caretaker. I don’t know what to do. At some point,  I am going to have to leave, and the Golds will forget that I even exist, and how am I supposed to DEAL with that?_

_Well, it’s rather late here, so I’m going to try to get some sleep. I love you, Dad._

_Belle_

 

Belle sat for several more minutes staring at the empty fireplace in front of her. Her thoughts were whirling. Could she really be developing a crush for Gold, just as Bae had suggested? She hoped not. She was terrified. For one she didn’t want to get her heart broken again, and secondly, she didn’t want to head into a rebound sort of thing. What in the world was she going to do?

 

~~~~

 

It was Sunday morning. Mrs. Potts had the morning off, of course, and the trio had just gotten home from church. Bae had gone off to his room to study for a bit. Belle had made a beeline for the library. That made Gold smile. She liked his gift. She _really_ liked it. Bae had seen her head that way before going to his own room, and he turned to his father and simply smirked with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

 

 

With his companions off to different rooms, Mr. Gold was at a loss for what to do. So, he made his way to the kitchen and decided to make a light brunch for the three of them. He would also start on a cake for dessert tonight. He wanted to make it up to Belle for missing her birthday yesterday. He had no idea how to make a cake, but he was sure one of Mrs. Potts’ cook books would have the answer.

 

He carefully made eggs and bacon, and started on the cake. Then, he made his way up to Bae’s bedroom. He knocked once and Bae called out, “Just a wee minute!” and then he heard scrambling and suddenly his son was opening the door.

 

“Son, I just made some brunch for us. How about ye get Belle from the library and head to the Dining Room. I’ll bring everything in.”

 

Bae was smirking again. What was with his son and smirking lately. It was almost as if he were up to something. At any rate, he stepped out of his room and said, “Sure, Da. I’ll go let her know brunch is waiting.”

 

~~~~

 

Belle grabbed “Sense and Sensibility” and then sat down on the armchair near the window in her Library. The window looked out over the back gardens, and it was a lovely sight. She could still hardly believe that Mr. Gold had given her such a present as this.

 

She was only a page or two into the next chapter when there was a gentle knock on the door. “Belle?” Bae called.

 

“Come in, Bae!” She replied, setting her book down on the table next to her.

 

Bae opened the door and grinned at her. “Papa wanted me to come and get you. He made us brunch since Mrs. Potts has Sunday mornings off.”

 

His eyes were twinkling. While at any other time Belle would have found that endearing, she found it unnerving in that particular moment. It was like the boy was laughing his own personal unpronounced joke.

 

“Bae, what on earth are you up to?” She asked.

 

“I have no idea what you are referring to.” He replied nonchalantly.

 

“Yeah right! Come along, then. Your father is waiting for us. We don’t want to waste a perfectly good brunch, now do we?”

 

Bae only smirked. “No, we certainly don’t want to do that, _dearie.”_

 

 _“_ Oh, please, do not try imitating your father. He does it so much better than you.”

 

Bae chuckled. “I figured you’d think that.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Oh, nothing.”

 

By that time, they had reached the Dining Room. Mr. Gold was had placed the last of the food on the table and was just turning to look at them. He smiled. “Brunch is served.” Bae hurried toward his seat and sat down. When Belle had gotten to her own seat, Mr. Gold pulled her seat out for her. She was shocked. What on earth had gotten in to him? She thanked him and sat down. Bae was grinning like a fool. What was all this about? “Mrs. Potts had the morning off. She’ll be back a little after noon. I thought I’d make us some brunch in her absence.” Mr. Gold explained.

 

“It was very kind of you, sir.” She replied.

 

“It’s no matter, dearie.”

 

The rest of breakfast was a pretty silent affair, with only requests for salt or pepper and the like. Mrs. Potts came in just as they were standing and gathering their dishes. “Oh! Hello, all. Bae and I can finish cleaning all this up. You two can go off and do whatever you like.” She said and she sent a wink Bae’s way.  Belle was really beginning to wonder what on earth was going on around Caislean. Everyone was acting so _strange._

 

_~~~~_

 

Bae helped Mrs. Potts put the dishes into the sink and then turned to her. “Is everything ready?” he asked. “Nearly. You’re sure to act positively ill now, correct?”

 

“Yes, I do feel a bit queasy at the moment, actually.” He said, smiling at her.

 

“What’s this about you feeling queasy, son?”

 

Bae blanched and then turned to his father, who had just entered the kitchen for some unknown reason. “I was just telling Mrs. Potts that I was feeling a little unwell.”

 

“Well, if that is the case, off to bed with you. I put a cake in the oven just before brunch and I can’t have you getting germs all over it.”

 

“A cake? You baked a cake? You never bake. Why’d you bake a cake, Da?”

 

“Well, it just so happens that Miss French’s birthday was yesterday and you and I missed that. So, I thought I’d bake her a cake as an apology for missing it.”

 

Bae coughed to hide the laugh he so desperately wanted to let out. “Oh, I’m sorry we missed it. I think I’ll go lie down for a bit and see if I feel any better.” And then he ran out of the room as fast as he could. Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow and slightly smiled at Mrs. Potts. “For a sick child, he travels rather quickly.”

 

~~~~

 

Mrs. Potts looked at him warily. “You, of all people, baked a cake?”

 

“Is it really all that hard to imagine, Mrs. Potts? I found a recipe in one of your cookbooks. It really wasn’t all that hard you know.”

 

Mrs. Potts hummed in response and opened the oven door to look in on the cake. She shut it as quickly as she could with a thick grimace upon her face. “Let me ask you, laddy, did you remember to put flour into your creation that is supposed to be a cake?”

 

Mr. Gold paled. “Flour!? The recipe said nothing about flour!”

 

“It’s a cake! Flour is one of the main ingredients. How about I finish up this mess you’ve started and you go do whatever it is that cranky, old businessmen are supposed to do. Don’t worry, I’ll tell her you baked the cake if she asks.”

 

With that, she turned her back on him and began to work. He silently left the kitchen to go to his study. Flour! How could he have forgotten the flour? He was such a bloody idiot…

 

~~~~

 

It was five minutes to six when Mr. Gold came from his study and headed for the Dining Room. When he opened the door and stepped inside, however, he was not expecting the sight awaiting him. The lights were dimmed, there were Roses on the table near his and Belle’s seats, and the table was elegantly set for…two. At just that moment, Mrs. Potts entered from the kitchen holding a bucket of ice and…was that CHAMPAGNE?

 

“WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON IN HERE?” Mr. Gold practically bellowed.

 

Mrs. Potts, for her part, didn’t flinch…didn’t even blink. “I was planning a nice dinner for the three of you as a sort of sending off party since you are leaving us tomorrow. AGAIN.” Mrs. Potts looked at Mr. Gold sourly, but then she smiled her plump smile and continued, “And then I also learned that Belle’s birthday was yesterday, even more cause for a celebration. But then your boy went and got himself sick. He is still up in his room and is absolutely _ghastly_. So tonight there will only be you and the young lass.”

 

Mr. Gold was going to faint. There was no denying it. He was being forced to have dinner…with Belle…alone. The idea was terrifying… His Dining Room looked positively… _ROMANTIC_. What in the world was he going to do?

 

~~~~

 

Belle had changed into jeans and a blue button down shirt after their brunch. Then she had buried herself in her library. She wasn’t going to stir until Dinner. She would allow nothing and nobody to disturb her.

 

Finally, when she looked at her watch, it was six o’ clock on the dot and she was late for dinner. Oh, goodness. Mr. Gold was going to skin her _alive_. So she dropped her book and rushed out of the library. She fairly _ran_ into the Dining Room. But when she got there, she stopped dead in her tracks before she ran into Mr. Gold’s back. The Dining Room’s ambiance had changed drastically since brunch. It was practically _romantic_. What in the world was going on?

 

Apparently, her confusion was written plainly on her face because Mr. Gold quickly said, “This was _NOT_ my idea. It seems that Mrs. Potts wanted to serve us a special dinner before I left and to celebrate your belated birthday. Baethan was supposed to join us, but it seems that he has taken ill. That means it will be just us for dinner, dearie.”

 

 _Bae. Baethan_. Oh, this had been his plan all along… a romantic dinner for his father and his caretaker. The little devil was trying to play _matchmaker_. IT wasn’t enough that Belle was conflicted with her own feelings and very, well, scared, of what was going on inside her, but Bae’s attempts at matchmaking the two of them was certainly not helping AT ALL. How in the world was she going to survive an entire dinner by herself with this man?

 

She was going to hang that boy…or at least give him a very strong talking to.

 

“Oh. I see.”

 

“Yes, well, I suspect Mrs. Potts is determined to serve us our dinner. Please sit.”

 

This time, he didn’t pull out her chair out for her. She wondered if he hated her. She almost hated herself. Her thoughts were consumed with the man sitting by her. She could tell her feelings were growing for him by the day, because he was kind, and he treated her as a lady ought to be treated. He certainly treated her much better than George ever had. He definitely wasn’t the monster the mysterious Sean had made him out to be. She was utterly confused by this man, but she was positively sure he did not feel the same as she was feeling. He was just a sad, if a bit lonely, man, who was kind. Why in the world would he ever begin to care for her? She was no one, and he was a big important businessman. He would never care for her the way she thought she was beginning to care for him, and really, that thought hurt, even if just a little.

 

She was pulled from her thoughts by Mr. Gold’s voice. “And what have you been doing all day, Miss French?”

 

“Actually, I’ve been reading in the library that you so graciously gave to me last night. It really was a marvelous gift, sir.”

 

Was that a blush creeping up Mr. Gold’s cheeks? Well THAT was rather attractive… She seriously needed to look at her food so she could concentrate. Bae was in such trouble.

 

“It’s no matter. I’m glad you like it.”

 

They ate the rest of the dinner in mostly silence, only conversing a few times about trivial things. Finally, Mr. Gold poured champagne into her glass, and then his. He lifted up his champagne flute. “To you on your birthday, Miss French.”

 

Belle smiled and raised her glass. “And to you on the eve of your trip, Mr. Gold, and that Baethan will feel better soon.”

 

Mr. Gold smiled faintly before he clicked his glass to hers, and then pulled it back to sip the bubbly drink.

               

Suddenly, Mrs. Potts came through the door into the dining Room. She was holding a cake. “Well, Belle, dear, it seems I wasn’t the only one who wanted to celebrate ye today. Mr. Gold took it upon himself to bake you this cake.”

               

A quick glance at Mr. Gold told Belle that he was blushing _furiously_ at Mrs. Potts’ confession. “Oh, really? Well, thank you, Mr. Gold. I really appreciate it. Honestly, you are much too kind to me.”

               

She barely heard his whispered response. “Hardly. I’m a beast, and my gratitude to you could never truly be shown.” Given that he had whispered it, Belle figured he hadn’t intended to be heard, so she pretended that she hadn’t heard what he had just said.

               

After they had each eaten a piece of the delicious cake, he stood and this time, took her seat out for her so she could stand as well. He accompanied her to Dining Room door and then turned to her. “I really must go and pack now, Miss French. I hope you have a truly wonderful evening.” Then he took her hand, brushed his lips against her knuckles, looked up at her eyes briefly, and was gone.

               

Belle fairly RAN to her library and buried herself in the loveseat by the fireplace. She was hoping to become a small speck of dust and never be seen by another being again. Her thoughts overtook her before she could help it though.

               

There was something sweet, and almost kind, but he was mean, and he was coarse, and unrefined, but now he was dear. She was so unsure. She wondered why she hadn’t seen it there before. It was new, and a bit alarming. Who’d have ever thought that this could be? True, Mr. Gold was no Prince Charming, but there definitely something in him that she simply hadn’t seen.

 

~~~~

 

Alone in his bedroom, Mr. Gold practically slumped in his armchair. At dinner he thought he saw her glance his way several times, and when they’d touched she hadn’t shuddered at his hand. No, it couldn’t be, he’d just ignore it, but then again she’d never looked at him that way before.

 

~~~~

 

In the kitchen, Mrs. Potts and Bae sat giggling. Mrs. Potts spoke first. “Well who’d have thought…”

 

“Well who, INDEED?”

 

“And who’d have guessed they’d come together on their own?

 

“We’ll wait and see… just a few days more.”

 

“There’s definitely something there that wasn’t there before.”

 

~~~~

 

It was ten at night. Belle had just finished Sense and Sensibility, and she decided she wanted to look at the second story of books in the library. She made her way up the stairs and then started up one of the tall ladders so that she could reach the top shelf of books. She was studiously going over several different titles when she heard a voice behind her say, “What on earth are you doing, dearie?”

 

The voice had startled her and she quickly lost her footing. She was falling. Any second now, she would hit the floor and most likely die. So much for enjoying the library.

 

But instead of feeling a great and painful impact, she felt like she had suddenly stopped in mid-air. She slowly opened her eyes and looking up, her eyes met Mr. Gold’s. Mr. Gold had caught her. He staggered a bit, the weight of her being just a bit much for his bad leg, but he did not fall, and he did not let her fall.

 

In one long, breathless moment, Belle’s blue eyes stared into Gold’s dark brown ones. She tried not to think about how perfectly she fit in his arms. She made her brain think. “Th…thank you, Mr. Gold.” He hastily put her down. “Thank you.”

 

“It’s no matter. I was just looking for a business book that I thought I had left in here. I’ll leave you alone now. Goodnight, Miss French.”

 

And then he was gone, practically flying to get out of the room. There was no doubt in Belle’s mind now. Mr. Gold must hate her. She didn’t even want to think about how much damage her fall had done to his leg. If only he hadn’t startled her. She felt utterly helpless. It was a good thing Mr. Gold would be leaving tomorrow morning. She didn’t know if she had the heart to see him. She’d be much too embarrassed by her fall to look him in the eyes.

 

She turned from the bookshelf just in time to see Bae’s head disappear behind one of the highbacked chairs near the fireplace. Quietly, she descended the stairs and snuck up by the chair. Suddenly she whipped around it and grabbed Bae by the arms before he could beat a hasty retreat.

 

“You have some _major_ explaining to do, mister blister.”

 

“What do you mean?” Bae asked, ever the picture of innocence.

 

“You know EXACTLY what I mean Bae. What on earth are you doing? Why are you acting like this? What would prompt you to lie to both your father and me and pretend to be sick so that you could force us into having a dinner together?

 

“Maybe the fact that he smiles more when you are around and I’ve noticed the way you look at him and how you blush whenever he is near, especially when he gave you the library and when he caught you just now.”

 

“YOU WERE WATCHING US?”

 

“Of course; why wouldn’t I? I mean if I am the terrible sprite you expect me to be, why wouldn’t you think I’d be spying on you as well to plan my next move.”

 

“You got Mrs. Potts in on this too, didn’t you?”

 

Bae blushed a deep red. “Yes, I did.”

 

“Oh, Bae… I know you want your father to be happy, and that’s very noble of you, it really is, but for one thing, he is my employer, and having feelings for him would be wrong. Secondly, I’m pretty sure he hates me, so your attempts are futile, at best.”

 

“He doesn’t hate you, Belle!”

 

“Bae…”

 

“So you admit you have feelings for him?”

 

“I never said that.”

 

“But you didn’t deny it, either.”

 

“Bae, we are not having this discussion right now. Off to bed.”

 

Bae hung his head and reluctantly tramped off to bed. Belle KNEW he had been up to something. She was sorry to dash his hopes, but there were no two ways about it. There would never be anything more than friendship between her and Mr. Gold. But then again, _those eyes!_ No! She must stop! WHAT HAD GOTTEN INTO HER?

 

~~~~

 

When Gold got back to his bedroom to finish packing, he had completely forgotten about the business tome he had been looking for when he went to the library. He would NEVER go into the library again.

 

His hands were shaking. His knee was in agony over the strain he had just put on it. He had caught Belle. He had held her in his arms. **_WHAT HAD HE BEEN THINKING?!?!?!_** He was doomed. He couldn’t face Miss French tomorrow morning. He would have to leave before anyone in the house. He had been planning to exchange emails with Miss French before he left the next morning so she could contact him if she needed to about anything concerning Baethan, but after today, he wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes without blushing like a foolish little school boy. He would just leave a very professional note for her with his email address in it so that she could contact him if needed. But he certainly would not be seeing her before he left the next morning.


	8. I Wish You Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More adventures from Mr. French, Belle, Sean, and Bae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG! I feel terrible :O  
> Life got a little crazy, my bad.

Mr. French stared at the computer screen in front of him. He had just gotten a rather lengthy email from his daughter. Apparently she had caught George with another woman while she had been out to dinner with Mr. Gold and his son. She sounded heart-broken. He wished he could be there for her. Maybe helping this young Baethan Gold would help keep her mind off of the hurt she was feeling. He hoped that it would.

What he wouldn’t give to sock George Gaston in the jaw. He always knew something was off with him. He wished he would have been able to prevent this all from happening. But he supposed this was a good life lesson for his daughter. Sometimes the heart had to be thoroughly broken before it could be mended by the right man. Speaking of the right man, apparently this Mr. Gold had played his bagpipes with his son outside his little Belle’s room when she had been hurt by George. And he had made her tea, and when she accidentally chipped his cup, he had said “It’s just a cup.” He wasn’t sure about this man, but he seemed to be more of a gentleman than George. Maybe he was over-thinking things. Perhaps there would never be anything between Mr. Gold and Belle.

At any rate, Moe knew that someday a young man would fall for his little girl, and if he were the right one, he would come asking for her hand. Even if he were the right man for Belle, he wouldn’t be good enough. No one would ever be good enough for his little girl. George hadn’t asked for his blessing, and Moe supposed that was a part of the reason he hadn’t liked him. It was a great sign of respect to ask the father for the daughter’s hand. Apparently, Mr. Gaston hadn’t cared or respected his Belle let alone himself.

He remembered when Belle was little and after he had tucked her in he had whispered “I love you” at her bedroom door. Before he would turn to leave, she would always whisper back, “Daddy, love you more.” He wished that she was still that little girl. It had been so much simpler back then. Now he had to deal with broken hearts, tears, school loans, adult worries that she had never faced before. And what was worse was that he wasn’t there to face these things with her. He wasn’t there to give her his shoulder to cry into. He. Wasn’t. There. It was no secret that his little girl had had him wrapped around her finger since the day she had been born. Sometimes, he wished Marie were still alive, she would know how to handle these situations. She would be able to sit with Belle and eat ice cream and cry over the idiocy of men, and then she would lift her head and lend strength to their daughter. He missed Marie. He missed her so much.

And really, that was what a lot of it was about. If he ever saw a young man with Belle who would miss her when she was away as much as he missed Marie, perhaps that young man just might do. If he could get on in life without her, but didn’t want to, couldn’t bear the thought of it, he might just be the right one. Moe wondered when that young man would appear.

~~~~

Mr. Gold had left very early that morning. Or, he said as much in the note he had left just inside the library for her. He left her his email address just in case she needed to contact him concerning Bae. He was gone. She wasn’t entirely sure when he was coming back. She met Bae in the Dining room a little while later for breakfast. He seemed down-hearted. She wasn’t sure if it was because she had scolded him or if it was because his father was gone again. At least they had had Saturday together. “Is everything alright, Bae?”

“I guess.”

“Well that wasn’t very convincing…”

“It’s just…he’s always gone. He is always leaving. Why can’t he just stay, for once? He says he wants me to be happy. Well, I’d be happier if he were here more. He’s always either in Glasgow or the States. Why can’t he just be here?”

Belle felt terrible for the boy. She knew that Mr. Gold’s business was important, but really, couldn’t he see how is son was suffering? She had to do something to get Bae’s mind off his father’s absence. “Well, you have to get to school. How about we practice more dancing when you get home? Does that sound like a plan?”

Bae smiled a little. “Aye, that sounds okay to me. Besides, you have to get ready for that ball you’re going to with Da!”

“Bae…”

“I know…I know. Goodbye, Belle.”

“Goodbye, Bae.”

~~~~

Belle went into the kitchen shortly after Bae had gone off to school. She found Mrs. Potts there, as usual. “Could I help you with anything today?” she asked the woman who was currently scribbling something on a piece of paper.

“Oh, good morning, Belle! Actually, I could use some help. I was planning on making a trip to the market, but if you wouldn’t mind going in my stead, I’ve been writing up a list of things that need to be bought.”

“Of course I can go for you! Besides, it will give me the chance to get out of Caislean and out and about the town, see the sights and all that jazz…”

“Wonderful, I just have to add a few more things and then the list will be ready for you. I’ll let Dove know you will need him. It’s a good thing Mr. Gold has let the poor man stay in Scotland now that you are here. Usually, Dove would accompany him on his trips back and forth.”

“No! Really?”

“Yes. I think Dove is very glad of the fact that you came here.”

“Well, if that’s the case I can see why!”

“There, now. The list is all done. Be careful, dear. Take your time and don’t worry about hurrying. The supermarket here will be different for you to get used to, I’m sure.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Potts. I’ll see you later then!”

Dove was waiting for her just outside. He opened up the door for her and then climbed into the driver’s seat himself. “Mrs. Potts told me to bring you to the supermarket. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Dove.” Belle grinned.

“That is absolutely correct! It feels so great just doing something I would normally do back home, you know? Grocery shopping! I used to hate it, but right now it is just so nice to feel useful and get away on my own for a bit.”

“I completely understand,” Dove kindly replied. Belle noticed he sounded tired, maybe he needed some time to himself as well. When Dove dropped Belle off at the little market, he told he would be waiting.

Belle, purse in hand, leisurely walked into the store. She wandered around a little bit, and spent several minutes admiring some locally hand-made scarves, hats, purses, jewelry, and other knick knacks that were on a special display. She especially like the green and blue scarf whose softness she was embracing when a voice behind her startled her. “Ye like that one, ha?”

Embarrassed, Belle quickly returned the scarf to its home. Then she turned around to see who had startled her. Her eyes were met by a huge grin and big blue eyes. “Sean! Well, hi!”

Sean looked surprised when he saw that the brunette he had been engrossed in watching for the past several minutes was Belle. “Belle! This is a surprise. I thought Miss America had gone home, scared of the beast and all. It has been a while! I mean, how are ye?”

“I am doing fine! Just shopping for the Gold household!” Belle smiled and gave him two thumbs up. “It’s a blast you know?” For some reason, Belle never knew what to say around Sean. She had only seen him once before, but he was pretty attractive, and young, and well, he seemed like a nice guy. Somehow, Sean always knew what to say though. He was good at trying to make people feel comfortable and at ease..

“Just shopping? I haven’t seen you in forever and all that ya have done since the last time we met is shopped?”

Belle grinned. “I’d hardly call it forever. And no, I’ve been working, getting to know Mr. Gold, Baethan, as well as the whole Gold residence, and reading. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have this long list of things to find in this chaotic store. I’ve never been shopping in Scotland.” Sean looked disappointed. “Come now, Belle, give a man a chance at just being friends? Let me help? Here! I know exactly where the eggs are! Follow me, right this way!” Belle knew it was useless. This Sean was too friendly. “Well, alright.” They shopped until everything on the list was found. Sean had Belle laughing so hard her stomach was killing her. “And so, I just glared at the chicken, told her what was what, and she started laying the eggs that Da wanted,” Sean said, finishing his rather amusing story. Belle laughed once more, “Sean you are too funny. Thanks for helping. I think we’ve got everything.” “Give me that list.” Belle smirked and gave it to him. “Wait. Oh…oh…oh, we forgot something.” “What?” “You go ahead and start paying for everything. I’ll get it.” “No, Sean. Seriously! What did we forget?” Belle hollered after the man. But it was too late, he had rushed off. Belle couldn’t help but like Sean. He was so silly. Such a boy in a man’s body. She liked his teasing, he was all she wished for in the brother she never had. She bought everything and walked out the shop doors. “What is taking him so long?” Belle was thinking to herself. She didn’t want to just leave without saying goodbye. That would be so rude. Anyway, he still had to give her the thing they had forgotten on the shopping list. Before long, Sean was rushing out the door. He bumped into an old woman who was walking in the door right as he was rushing out. She staggered, but he grabbed her before she could fall. “Oh, Ma’am! I am so sorry, Ma’am. Excuse me, Ma’am.” And at that he spotted Belle. His face relaxed and he slowed his pace to a comfortable walk. She had seen the whole ordeal and had covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her waves of laughter. “I never told ya I was so graceful, did I?” Sean asked. “You are just too much, Sean, too much!” “Well, I got it! Here ya go.” He handed Belle the grocery bag. She reached inside and pulled out a paper wrapped parcel. “What is this?” “Open it!” Belle undid the white string and loosened the paper packaging. She almost dropped the contents of the package but Sean hurried and caught it before it hit the ground.as blue and green. “Sean! The scarf!” “Well, you were hugging it in there. I didn’t think you two should part so easily. Besides, it goes beautifully with yer eyes.” Belle blushed. “Thank you so much! You shouldn’t have, really.” “But I did! I wanted to. It’s me duty as a man. We Scottish like our women folk lookin there best.” At that, Dove drove up to pick Belle up in the car. But before he could climb out of the car to open the door for Belle, Sean had rushed over to the door himself and opened it. “Thanks, Sean.” “No problem.” Belel climbed in, set all the groceries down, and then smiled at Sean. “Ummm…Sean, you can shut the door now.” She laughed. “Oh! Yeah! Sorry!” Sean started to close the door but stopped suddenly. “Wait, Belle, would you like to do something tomorrow night? I’m not busy, and…Well! I mean, that is if you aren’t busy…” “Sure, Sean.” “Ok, I’ll phone you! Bye!” At that, Sean finished shutting the door. He waved goodbye and Dove gave her a questioning look and began to drive away. ~~~ Dove did not like this new development. Sure, this Sean boy seemed nice enough. Maybe Miss Belle liked him enough. But Bae, Mrs. Potts, and he had been working rather hard to push Mr. Gold and Belle together. They all thought they would be good for each other and they did not miss the smiles Mr. Gold gave more often with Belle around. He was much pleasanter when she was around. ~~~~ Spending some time with Sean might be good for Belle. Who knew? He seemed to be a great guy. It would be nice to get to know him in a friendly way. Belle wanted to try to make more friends in Scotland anyway. She often became lonely. It was worth a shot. Bae came home that night tired. He didn’t feel up to the dancing that he and Belle had planned earlier. He had gone to his room early that night. Belle wondered what could be bothering him, if anything was bothering him. She climbed up the several flights of stairs and knocked on Bae’s door. “Bae? You ok, buddy?” “I’m fine Belle! Tired.” “Are you sure?” “Positive.” Belle turned to leave when she heard Bae say, “Belle?” “Yes, Bae?” “Do you know how to sing?” “Of course! I used to sing for my church choir, and I’ve always just enjoyed singing, especially in the shower.” She giggled. She could hear Bae laughing through the door. “Would you sing for me?” Belle was shocked. Sing for Bae? Why? But she soon got over the shock when the boy quietly said in a voice that sounded as if he were ready to cry, “Mama used to sing to me. I miss her.” Belle smiled sadly. The poor boy, without a mother, life must get lonely at times. Though older, she felt the same way on certain days. For instance, on windy days she would reminisce about the time when her mother had rocked her in her lap and said, “Belle, dear. Do you hear the wind? It sounds so beatly out there. But it is calling you and me, it greatly years for a friend to talk to. Why don’t you talk to the wind for a bit? Hmmmm? In little whispers, talk to the wind. He’s lonely.” On windy nights, as she lay in bed, Belle would still talk to the wind. But she knew that her mother in heaven was talking to it too. She felt her presence at those times, and she was filled with peace. Belle sat down in the hallway and leaned her head against Bae’s door. She started singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” in a soft, beautiful voice. As the sweet tune reached Bae’s ears, he smiled and sighed. Belle would know exactly the song he wished to hear at that moment. Soon, he was fast asleep. Belle then went to her own room. She pulled out her laptop and grabbed the note she had found earlier from Mr. Gold. She opened up her email and began her email to Mr. Gold. She told him that Bae was fine, but that he seemed rather lonely this evening. She told him that he asked her to sing to him, because his mother had and that he missed her. Belle told Mr. Gold not to worry, because she could identify with Bae’s situation, that she missed her mother as well and that she was often lonely as well. She ended the email, sent it, and climbed into bed. The next morning, she ate breakfast with Bae. He seemed to be in a much better mood. “Tonight we are definitely going to have to dance, Belle. We both need to practice before our dances come up.” Belle smiled. “I think you are right there, Bae. We can’t be stepping on anyone’s toes, now do we? After all, what will Emma think if you step on her toe?” Bae blushed, but smiled under Belle’s gentle teasing. “Yeah, we definitely have to practice tonight.” “Well, I might be doing something tonight with a new friend, but I could always see if he would like to come over here for dinner and get in on our dancing as well.” “He?” Bae blanched. “Yes, Bae. He is a very nice young man that I met a little while ago. I ran into him at the market yesterday. Look, Bae, I know you want me to like your father. I’m not saying that anything will happen between Sean and me, but I am also not saying that anything will happen between your father and I either. Just please be cordial to Sean tonight. You may even find him amusing.” Bae sighed. “Okay, Belle.” And then the young boy was off. Before Belle went into the library to read for a while, she checked her email for any emails from her father or Mr. Gold. There was one from the latter. Dear Miss French, Please, call me Robert. I am aware that Bae can get lonely sometimes, that is, essentially, why I hired you. I know that you both get on well together, and I am convinced you will be able to distract him from his low moods. I am in the hope that he can do the same for you as well. While I am away, I wish you both health, and my best. I wish you both shelter from storms, cozy fires to keep you warm, and when snowflakes begin to fall, I wish you…safety. Yours, Robert A. Gold There were several things that astounded Belle about this email. First, he asked her to call him by his first name, and had given her a clue as to what his middle name could be. As Belle well knew, names held power. Second, he hoped that Bae could help her just as much as she helped him. Thirdly, the last paragraph held some of the lines from a popular Frank Sinatra song, “I Wish You Love.” But instead of love, he had changed the word to “safety” ?! Belle didn’t understand. Surely, he knew that song, and he would be foolish to think that she didn’t know the song either. Was there some hidden meaning behind what he was trying to say? Belle was unsure, but she promised herself she wouldn’t think too hard about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy my first multi-chapter OUAT fanfic :D


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